Madras High CourtWP/12403/2017disposed of

M.Sekar, S/O.P.Mani, v. The Personal Assistant To The

2019-11-18Honourable Mr Justice D. Krishnakumar10 pages

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED 18.11.2019

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE D.KRISHNAKUMAR W.P.No.12403 of 2017 and W.M.P.No.13160 of 2019 M.Sekar ... Petitioner ..Vs..

The Personal Assistant of the District Collector (Development), Thiruvannamalai, Thiruvannamalai District.

... Respondent PRAYER : Petition filed Under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, calling for the file relating to suspension proceedings passed in Na.Ka.3002/2017/PE2 dated 17/04/2017 on the file of respondent and quash the same direct the respondent to reinstate the petitioner.

For Petitioner : Mr.R.T.Sundari For Respondent : Mrs.K.Bhuvaneswari Additional Government Pleader

O R D E R

The petitioner was a Panchayat Secretary in the Respondent Panchayat Union and misappropriated Village Panchayat funds of Kuruvimalai Village in the year 2009-2011 in collusion with the then Village Panchayat President and Vice President of the said Village Panchayat and he was awarded punishment of stoppage of increment for three years in Proceedings Roc.No.13040/2011/pc2, dated 30.03.2016, subsequently the petitioner was transferred and joined duty at Krishnapuram Village Panchayat on 13.01.2015. During the annual Audit for 2015-2016 of Krishnapuram Village Panchayat came to light, that the petitioner was in collusion with the President and Vice President of the Krishnapuram Village Panchayat and involved in misappropriation of village Panchayat Funds to the tune of Rs.14,65,171/- during the years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. Therefore, he was placed under suspension in proceedings Na.Ka.3002/2017/PC2, dated 17.04.2017 issued to the Personal Assistant to Collector (Development)

Tiruvannamalai. Further the action also initiated against the Village Panchayat President of Krishnapuram Village Panchayat under Rule 205 of Tamil Nadu Panchayat Act 1995. The petitioner is challenging the said order before this Court and the counter has been filed by the respondent in the aforesaid Counter affidavit:

"7. As per G.O.Ms.No.43, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, dated 21.02.2000, all payments for purchases, payment for contract works should be made through third party cheque only. Cash payment has been banned. In this case instead of issuing third party cheques to the concerned supplier of street light materials and to contractors in case of water supply maintenance works, the petitioner in collusion with Village Panchayat President and Vice President, has misappropriated Rs.3,80,236/- and credited the following 16 payments into his own bank Account No.030809495967 maintained in State Bank of India (ADB), Polur. These transactions are tabulated hereunder:

Name of the person into whose account the amount actually credited S No .

Voucher No./Date Cheque No.

Date Expenditu re Details Third aprty concerned Amount paid 1/ 15.04.20 85529/ 15.04.

OHT Maintenan ce Sabari Motor Rewinding Works 25256/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 4/ 15.04.20 85532/ 15.04.

Pipe Line Maintenan ce Rajalakshm i Electrical s Arni 22600/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y

5/ 24.04.20 85533/ 24.04.

Street Light Maintenan ce Rajalakshm i Electrical s Arni 36500/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 06/ 07.05.20 85534/ 07.05.

Water Supply Maintenan ce Works Rajalakshm i Electrical s Arni 22160/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 08/ 18.05.20 85536/ 18.05.

OHT Maintenan ce Sabari Motor Rewinding Works 15600/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 10/ 24.07.20 85537/ 24.07.

Stationar y Expenses Amma Printers 1000/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 11/ 24.07.20 85542/ 24.07.

OHT Maintenan ce Raman OHT Operator 15120/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 17/ 26.10.20 85547/ 26.10.

OHT Maintenan ce Sabari Motor Rewinding Works 23600/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 19/ 07.11.20 85548/ 07.11.

Street Light Maintenan ce No Entries made 23600/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y

20/ 09.11.20 85549/ 09.11.

Pipe Line Maintenan ce No Entries made 30300/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 25/ 02.01.20 85557/ 02.01.

OHT Maintenan ce Rajalakshm i Electrical s Arni 14500/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 26/ 29.01.20 85546/ 02.01.

Street Light Maintenan ce Rajalakshm i Electrical s Arni 16500/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 27/ 25.02.20 85550/ 25.02.

Mini Power Pump Maintenan ce Sabari Motor Rewinding Works 16500/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 29/ 28.03.20 85558/ 28.03.

Pipe Line Maintenan ce M. Sankar Contractor 61500/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 31/ 29.03.20 85564/ 29.03.

OHT Maintenan ce No Entries made 31000/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y 34/ 31.03.20 85566/ 31.03.

Street Light Maintenan ce Lakshmi Electrical Arni 24500/- M.

Sekar, Panchaya t Secretar y Total 3,80,23 6/-

8. The petitioner in collusion with Village Panchayat President and Vice President misappropriated Village Panchayat funds to the tune of Rs.6,19,651/- from Village Panchayat Scheme Fund Account of Krishnapuram Village Panchayat, by crediting the following payments into this bank Account No.030809495967 maintained at State Bank of India (ADB), Polur Branch and the following transactions are tabulated hereunder:

S.No .

Voucher No./Dat e Cheque No. Date Third Party beneficiary Name Amount Name of the person into whose account the amount actually credited 14/ 07.11.1 404953/ 07.11.15 M. Sankar, Contractor, Kasthampadi 26173 A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar, Panchayat Secretary 15/ 07.11.1 404955/ 07.11.15 M. Sankar, Contractor, Kasthampadi 33900 A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar, Panchayat Secretary 16/ 09.11.1 404956/ 09.11.15 M. Sankar, Contractor, Kasthampadi 42860 A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar, Panchayat Secretary 17/ 17.11.1 404957/ 17.11.15 M. Sankar, Contractor, Kasthampadi 131501 A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar, Panchayat Secretary 18/ 13.11.1 404960/ 13.11.15 K. Prabu 37574 A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar, Panchayat Secretary

19/ 07.12.1 404961/ 07.12.15 M. Sankar, Contractor, Kasthampadi 36312 A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar, Panchayat Secretary 27/22.0 3.16 404958/ 22.03.16 Vadivel Polur A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar, Panchayat Secretary - 404969/ 12.04.16 - 94256 P. Prakash, 246,Kulathu Street, Krishnapura m, 00323487705 - 404959/ 12.04.16 - 97360 P. Prakash, 246,Kulathu Street, Krishnapura m, 00323487705 - 404970/ 12.04.16 - 15600 M. Sekar, 1/101, road Street, Krishnapura m, 00308094959 - 404976/ 16.08.16 - 82200 K.

Elumalai, 124, Pillayar Kovil Street, Bakmarpetta i, Murugapadi, 00314766463

- 404977/ 20.08.16 - 13415 M. Sekar, 1/101, Road Street, Krishnapura m, 00308094956 Total 6,19,651/-

9. Further he stated in the counter affidavit that instead of making payment through 3rd party cheque to TNCMSPGH beneficiaries, the petitioner in collusion with Village Panchayat President and Vice President misappropriated Rs.5,11,440/- by crediting the following payments into the petitioners bank Account No.030809495967 maintained at - State Bank of India (ADB), Polur Branch and also into bank Account of others who are not at all related to these transactions are tabulated hereunder:

Sl.N o.

Voucher No./Date Cheque No.

Date Amount Third Party beneficiary Name Bank Account No.

4/04.11.1 667354 / 04.11.

11660 Panchiyammal W/o. Thanjiappan A/C 03619825020 Thanjiappan 5/04.11.1 667355 /04.11 .15 39904 Panchiyammal W/o. Thanjiappan A/C 03619825020 Thanjiappan 8/05.12.1 667358 /05.12 .15 29760 Thanjiappan S/o Pillaiyar A/C 03045024325 Pachiyamma l 9/05.12.1 667359 /05.12 .15 11660 Thanjiappan S/o Pillaiyar A/C 03045024325 Pachiyamma l 11/04.01.

667361 /04.01 .16 39904 Thanjiappan S/o Pillaiyar A/C 03188470829 Radha Polur

12/11.01.

667362 /11.01 .16 29760 Manikandan A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar Panchayat Secretary 13/11.01.

667363 /11.01 .16 11660 Paraman A/C 03145766463 2 K.

Elumalai Panchayat Secretary Murugapadi 15/12.01.

667365 /12.01 .16 64295 Pachiyammal A/C 03145766463 2 K.

Elumalai Panchayat Secretary Murugapadi 16/11.01.

667366 /11.01 .16 29760 Rajakili S/o.

Subramani A/C 03080949596 7 M. Sekar Panchayat Secretary 17/15.03.

667368 /15.03 .16 39904 No entries made S. Rajakili - 667370 /04.05 .16 29760 D. Pachiyammal 1980. Othavadi Street, Krishnapuram 03045024325 - 667371 /14.06 .16 52566 B.

Thanchayappan, 209, Othavadi Street, Narayanamangalam 03061982502 - 667372 /20.06 .16 41600 M. Sekar, 1/101, Road street, Krishnapuram 03080949569 - 667377 /31.12 .16 22440 K. Elumalai, Panchayat Secretary, 124, Pillayar Kovil Street, Bakmarpettai, Murugapadi, 03471282460

- 667377 /31.12 .16 56807 G. Manikandan, Panchayat Secretary, 187, Braminar Street, Sengunam.

03471282460 Total 5,11,4 40/- In many cases, even funds release intimation have not been issued by Block Development Officer (Village Panchayat) Polur which is mandatory for making payments from this Village Panchayat Fund Account 6. This is gross violation of rules and regulation. Hence criminal action is being initiated against all the three offenders. Also the petitioner in collusion with Village Panchayat President and Vice President fabricated false receipts in these misappropriation."

2. Therefore, according to the respondent, the aforesaid serious irregularities have been committed by the writ petitioner and the disciplinary proceedings and criminal action was taken by the respondent. In the light of the aforesaid counter affidavit filed by the respondent, the writ petitioner was placed under suspension by the impugned order.

3. Thereafter, the charge memo has been filed against the petitioner and enquiry is pending before the respondent. In view of the aforesaid submissions and the facts, the petition challenging the impugned suspension order, cannot be entertained and the same is unsustainable. Therefore, at this stage, this Court cannot interfere with the impugned suspension order.

4. Accordingly, this Court directs the respondent to conclude the disciplinary proceedings in accordance with law within a period of six months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. It is made clear that the respondent should follow the procedures as contemplated under law and the petitioner is also directed to co-operate for the enquiry.

5. Hence, this Court cannot interfere with the impugned suspension order and the contention of the writ petitioner is liable to be rejected.

6. This Court by an order dated 30.04.2019, recorded the statement of the petitioner that the subsistence allowance was received from 17.04.2017 to January 2019. Further, the petitioner has submitted that the respondent has not paid the subsistence allowance from January 2019 onwards. If that being so, the respondent is directed to pass appropriate orders for rejection regarding the settlement of subsistence allowance within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of the copy of this order (or) the respondent is directed to settle the

subsistence allowance to the writ petitioner within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

7. In the result, the writ petition stands disposed of, with the above observations. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition stands closed.

Sd/- Assistant Registrar //True Copy// Sub Assistant Registrar Pns To The Personal Assistant of the District Collector (Development), Thiruvannamalai, Thiruvannamalai District.

+1cc to Mr.M.P.Jayaprakash, Advocate, S.R.No. 96502 +1cc to the Government Pleader, S.R.No. 96023 W.P.No.12403 of 2017 RK(CO) GN(22/01/2020)