Asok Kumar Hatua v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

5th Feb., 2026 Item no.D/L 42 Court No. 18 Pradip, A.R.(Ct.) In the High Court at Calcutta Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Appellate Side Case No.

WPA 27186 of 2025 In the matter of :

Asok Kumar Hatua .... Petitioner VS.

The State of West Bengal & Ors.

....Respondents For the Petitioner:

Mr. Anjan Bhattacharya Ms. Anita Shaw Ms. Seema Thakur ....Advocates For the State:

Ms. Amrita Panja Moullick Ms. Reshmi Rehman ....Advocates

1. Affidavit of service filed in Court today is taken on record.

2. The petitioner is a retired headmaster of a school. He retired from service on 30th November, 2024. Due to pendency of a criminal case against him, he has not been paid his terminal benefits in full. He is receiving provisional pension but he has not received his provident fund dues.

3. Prayer has been made to direct the authority to release the provident fund dues of the petitioner along with interest on account of delayed payment.

4. Learned advocate representing the State respondents has obtained instruction from the District Inspector of Schools, Secondary Education, Purba Medinipur signed on 15th December, 2025 wherefrom it appears that the provident fund account of the

petitioner has been frozen for which the provident fund dues cannot be disbursed in the said bank account.

5. The petitioner has provided a different bank account number for crediting the provident fund dues in the said account. The school authority has already requested the Joint Director (NGIPF CELL) DPPG for updating the new bank account number so that the provident fund dues of the petitioner may be deposited therein.

6. As it appears that the petitioner retired from service way back on 30th November, 2024, the authority ought to release his admissible provident fund dues without any further delay.

7. The school has also intimated the concerned respondent for updating the fresh bank account number provided by the petitioner for disbursement of the provident fund dues.

8. The respondent authorities are directed to ensure that the admissible provident fund dues of the petitioner are released at the earliest in the Axis Bank Account No. 919010047681334, IFSC - UTIB0000154.

9. The prayer of the petitioner for grant of interest cannot be accepted as it appears that the respondents are not directly responsible for the delay in disbursement of the said amount. As the bank account of the petitioner stood frozen by the investigating agency, accordingly, the provident fund dues could not be deposited in the said account.

10. The writ petition stands disposed of.

11. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties upon compliance of all requisite formalities. (Amrita Sinha, J.)