Sujit Narayan Prasad, J. - (1.) INSTANT writ petition has been filed on behalf of petitioner for quashing office order dated 5.1.2001 by which the order of punishment of recovery of Rs. 2,20,508/ - has been inflicted upon the petitioner with a direction to enter the same in the service book and the order of appellate authority dated 4.3.2004 by which order dated 5.1.2001 has been affirmed as well as to consider and grant him promotion to the post of Forest Range Officer on the ground that the juniors to him have already been granted promotion.
(2.) IT has been submitted on behalf of petitioner that petitioner was appointed on 16.2.1980 on the post of Forester at Training School, Chaibasa and thereafter he was deputed in the post of Range Officer In charge in Bihar State Forest Development Corporation, Patna and was posted at Minor Forest Produce Project Division, Gumla at Simdega Range. It has further been submitted that while the petitioner was posted at Simdega a complaint was made by one Kalindra Prasad before the Divisional Manager, Gumla and similar complaints were also made by Prem Chand Thakur, Uadi Pratap Prasad and Lalan Singh with respect to preparation of forged vouchers. The Divisional Manager, Minor Forest Produce Project Division, Gumla had conducted an enquiry and submitted a report to the General Manager, Minor Forest Produce Project Circle, Ranchi alleging therein commission of irregularity in the matter of transportation of charges of Kendu leaves. Thereafter on the basis of said irregularity a memorandum of charge had been served upon the petitioner vide Office Order No. 79 dated 19.9.1992 alleging therein that the petitioner had transported kendu leaves on higher rates and higher expenditure had been shown on the basis of forged signature in the vouchers in the matter of making payment to the transporters and thereby forgery had been committed. Enquiry officer had submitted his report before the disciplinary authority which was accepted and order of punishment was passed on 5.1.2001 inflicting the punishment of recovery of Rs. 2,20,508/ - and same to be entered in the service book of the petitioner.
(3.) IT has further been submitted that petitioner has filed an appeal before the appellate authority who has passed an order on 4.3.2004 affirming the order passed by the disciplinary authority on 5.1.2001. The petitioner being aggrieved with the order of punishment has preferred instant writ petition.;