RATI RAM AND 7 ORS Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In this batch of applications, the facts are more or less similar and the question of law involved is identical. It is, therefore, proposed to deal with them in a common judgment.

(2.) At the outlet, it may be stated that the services of large number of employees who have worked in the Railways for different periods, have been terminated on the ground that they had produced bogus Casual Labour Cards at the time of their entry into service. Their initial engagement was subject to verification of their antecedents, etc. Later on, the Vigilance Branch of the Railways, after holding their investigations, arrived at the conclusion that some of them had produced fake or fictitious Casual Labour Cards containing bogus entries of wolk on the Railways prior to their engageroent Based on such reports of Investigation by the Vigilance Branch, the Railways have terminated the services of the persons concerned. In some cases, they have served show cause notices to the employees concerned, obtained their replies thereto and thereafter, decided to terminate their services. In some other cases, the Railways have conducted regular departmental inquiry against the employees concerned under the Railway Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1968 and removed them from service. In yet other cases, no show-cause notice or departmental inquiry was conducted before terminating the services.

(3.) In the present batch of applications, the employees had been given show cause notices and they had been given an opportunity to showcause why their services should not be terminated. No departmental inquiry was conducted against them. All of them have worked for about 8 years in the Railways.