- (1.) The matter here concerns the termination of the services of the plaintiff Gurpal Singh Bhamra, a Line Superintendent of the Punjab State Electricity Board, on the charge of wilful absence from duty without reasonable cause.
(2.) The plaintiff was attached to the Nabha Division of the Punjab State Electricity Board when he absented himself from duty with effect from May 17, 1969. It was on his failure to obtain leave or to report back to duty thereafter that on January 1, 1970, a charge sheet was served upon him with regard to his absence from duty since this date i.e. May 17, 1969, which was said to be wilful and without reasonable cause. The other part of the charge being that he was in the habit of wilfully remaining absent from duty and that his work and conduct being not satisfactory.
(3.) On receipt of the charge-sheet, the plaintiff filed his reply Exhibit D-4, in which he admitted his absence from duty on the plea that he had remained "under prolonged mental ailment" and added "the ailment was of peculiar nature and was not curable under allopathic treatment. I had to seek the treatment of Hakim supported by spiritual Pundits, who suspected that I was under the ruthless influence, which kept me mentally handicapped and I could not even inform my office regularly about my ailment. Kindly believe me that my leave from office is under strained circumstances without aware of my ailment.;