Murugan S v. Tamilnadu State Transport Corporation (Tirunelveli) Limited
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 06.01.2026
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE B.PUGALENDHI Murugan S ... Petitioner Vs 1.Tamilnadu State Transport Corporation (Tirunelveli) Limited, Represented by its Managing Director, Tirunelveli-11.
2.The General Manager, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Tirunelveli) Ltd., Nagercoil Region, Nesamani Nagar, Nagercoil-1.
...Respondents
PRAYER: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents to revise and drop the punishment imposed on the petitioner and modified on appeal considering the judgment of the learned Judicial Magistrate Court No.1 Nagercoil, made in C.C.No. 171/2001 dated 04.07.2023 and consequently to re-calculate his salary, other allowances and other service benefits by taking his basic salary and other allowances before imposing the punishment 1/6
with cumulative effect on par with his juniors and to pay him the difference amount of salary and other allowances. For Petitioner :Mr.V.Kannan, For Respondents :Mr.D.Jebaraj Standing Counsel
O R D E R
The petitioner is working as a driver in the respondent Transport Corporation. While he was on duty in the Corporation bus bearing Registration No.TN 32 N 3519 in Route No.319 between Kanyakumari and Thadikarankonam, on 07.07.2029, he drove the bus in a rash and negligent manner and caused a fatal accident. Therefore, a criminal case in Crime No.142 of 2019 has been registered as against him for the offence under Sections 279 and 304 IPC. A final report was filed before the Judicial Magistrate Court No.I, Nagercoil and the same was taken on file in CC No.171 of 2021. Based on the criminal case, he was issued with a charge memo and also imposed with a punishment of stoppage of increment for a period of two years with cumulative effect. As against this order of punishment, this petitioner has filed an appeal before the first respondent and the same is pending. In the meantime, the criminal 2/6
case in CC No.171 of 2021, based on which, the charge memo was issued, ended in acquittal, by an order, dated 04.07.2023.Therefore, the petitioner has approached this Court that this petitioner has got an honorary acquittal from the Criminal Court and therefore, he is entitled for the benefit as per clause 18 of the 12(3) settlement, dated 29.05.2025.
2.Mr.D.Jebaraj, learned Standing Counsel takes notice for the respondents.
3.This Court considered the submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner.
4.The petitioner, who is the driver of the respondent Transport Corporation was imposed with a punishment of stoppage of increment for a period of two years with cumulative effect, pursuant to the criminal case registered as against him. Now, it is reported that the criminal case registered as against this petitioner in 3/6
CC No.171 of 2021, on the file of the Judicial Magistrate Court No. 1, Nagercoil ended in acquittal. The petitioner has also filed an appeal before the first respondent, seeking benefit as per clause 18 of the 12(3) settlement, dated 29.05.2025 and the same is pending. 5.Since it is reported that the petitioner got an honorary acquittal in the criminal case registered as against him, the first respondent shall consider the case of the petitioner in the light of Clause 18 of 12(3) settlement, dated 29.05.2025 and conclude the appeal as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. 6.With the above direction, this writ petition is disposed of.
06.01.2026 NCC: Yes/No Index:Yes/No vrn 4/6
To 1.Tamilnadu State Transport Corporation (Tirunelveli) Limited, Represented by its Managing Director, Tirunelveli-11.
2.The General Manager, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Tirunelveli) Ltd., Nagercoil Region, Nesamani Nagar, Nagercoil-1.
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B.PUGALENDHI, J.
vrn Order made in 06.01.2026 6/6