Bombay High CourtWP/15232/2024disposed off

Rohan Nimbaji Borse v. State Of Maharashtra Throu. The Dept Of Public Health And ORS

2024-10-29Hon'Ble Shri Justice Sandeep V. Marne , Hon'Ble Justice Smt Manjusha Ajay Deshpande10 pages

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 15232 OF 2024 ALONGWITH INTERIM APPLICATION (ST.) NO. 32125 OF 2024 Rohan Nimbaji Borse } ....Petitioner : Versus :

State of Maharashtra, through The Dept. of Public Health and Ors.

}....Respondents _________________ Mr. Vineet Naik, Senior Advocate a/w. Ms. V.M. Thorat (through V.C.) and Pooja Thorat a/w. Mr. Amar Bodke, for the Petitioner. Ms. Neha Bhide, Government Pleader with Mr. B.V. Samant, Addl. Government Pleader with Mrs. V.R. Raje, AGP for State. Mr. Vikramjeet Garewal (through V.C.) i/by. Mr. Ajinkya Udane, for the Applicant-Intervenor.

___________________ CORAM :

SANDEEP V. MARNE, & SMT. MANJUSHA A. DESHPANDE, JJ.

(Vacation Court) Dated :

29 October 2024.

P.C. :

1) Leave granted to amend the petition to incorporate challenge to the order dated 28 October 2024. Amendment to be carried out forthwith. Re-verification dispensed with.

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2) Petitioner is working as a Medical Officer, Class-2, Group-A in the State Government service and has alternative and equally efficacious remedy of filing Original Application before the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal under the provisions of Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985. In ordinary course, we would have been loathe in entertaining the present petition in the light of availability of alternate remedy and in view of law expounded by the Apex Court in Constitution Bench judgment in L. Chandra Kumar Verus. Union of India and Ors.1. However, considering the extreme urgency involved in the present case, we are inclined to entertain the present petition.

It appears that the present petition was moved before this Court on 25 October 2024, when instead of relegating the Petitioner to the alternate remedy before the Tribunal, this Court directed the State Government to take decision on Petitioner's resignation and to communicate the same to him by 4 p.m. on 28 October 2024. By order dated 28 October 2024, Petitioner's resignation has been rejected. Petitioner is desirous of contesting the upcoming Assembly Elections and the last date for filling up the nominations is 29 October 2024. In that view of the matter, it would be imprudent to now relegate the Petitioner to the alternate remedy of Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal. It also appears that the Vacation Court is unavailable for relegating Petitioner to alternate remedy.

It is on account of these extraordinary circumstances of the case that we are entertaining the present petition by way of an exception.

3) The petition was initially filed with a grievance that the application submitted by the Petitioner on 21 October 2024 tendering resignation was not being decided. When the petition was moved before this Court on 25 October 2024, following order was passed : (1997) 3 SCC 261 2 of

The above Writ Petition is filed seeking a direction to Respondent No.2 to forthwith accept the Petitioner's resignation and issue a relieving order with immediate effect. This relief is sought on the basis that the Petitioner is a Government employee (Medical Officer (Group "A"), and until his resignation is accepted, he cannot contest the upcoming Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly Elections, which were notified on 15th October, 2024. 2.

According to the Petitioner, he has tendered his resignation to the Competent Authority on 21st October, 2024. In the petition, the Petitioner has also annexed documents of certain authorities, namely, that of the District Civil Surgeon of Nashik, the Deputy Director, Health Services, Nashik Circle, Nashik and the Joint Director, Department of Public Health, Mumbai which state that there is no departmental enquiry pending or proposed against the Petitioner. However, it appears that there is some complaint which is pending and which we are told across the bar, is of the year 2018 or 2019. We are also shown a letter dated 22nd October, 2024, in which, the Deputy Director, Health Services, Nashik Circle, Nashik has exonerated the Petitioner and recommended that the aforesaid complaint be closed.

Though the said letter does not form part of the record, the same has been tendered to the Court and a copy of the same has also been handed over to the learned Addl. Government Pleader. It is also not in dispute that one month's pay has been deposited by the Petitioner in the treasury in lieu of the notice of one month before resignation.

It is the grievance of the Petitioner, that despite all this compliance, the Respondents have not taken any decision on the resignation of the Petitioner who wants to contest the upcoming Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly Elections and for which the Petitioner has to file his nomination by 3:00 p.m. on 29th October, 2024.

Considering these peculiar circumstances, we direct the Respondents to take a decision on the resignation letter submitted by the Petitioner as expeditiously as possible and in any event on or before 28th October, 2024 by 4:00 p.m. and inform the Petitioner of the same.

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Since the aforesaid order has been dictated in Open Court, the learned Addl. Government Pleader will inform the concerned Respondents of this order without waiting for the copy to be uploaded on the High Court Server.

Personal Assistant of this Court. All concerned will act on production 4) On 28 October 2024, the Respondent-State Government has rejected the resignation tendered by the Petitioner. The order dated 28 October 2024 reads thus :

प्रति डॉ. निंबाजी बोरसे वैद्यकीय अतिकारी गट-अ, जिजल्हा रुग्णालय ाशि#क.

विवषय :-राजीाम्याबाब डॉक्टर रोह निंबाजी बोरसे वैद्यकीय अतिकारी गट-अ संदर्भ+:-१. आयुक्त, आरोग्य सेवा आयुक्तलय, मुंबई यांचे पत्र क्र.आसेआ/२ब/टे- ४/राजीामा/डॉ .रोह बोरसे/१५३९/२४, विद.२२.१०.२०२४ २.डॉ. रोह निं. बोरसे, वैद्यकीय अतिकारी गट-अ यांचा अज+ विदांक २१. १०. २०२४.

३. #ा.वि.सा.प्र.विव.क्र.एसआरव्ही -१०९२/१०३३/प्र.क्र .३३/९२/८, विद. 0 २. १२. १९९७ संदर्भा+विद क्र.१ येथील प्रस्ावास अुसरू कळविवण्या येे की, आपण विद.२१.१०. २०२४. च्या अजाFवये एक मविहन्याची पूव+ सूचा देा एक मविहन्याचे मूळ वे #ासकीय तिजोरी र्भरणा करू राजीामा ात्काळ मंजूर करण्याची विवंी केली आहे 4 of

थाविप आपल्या विवरुद्ध खाली मूद केल्याुसार गंर्भीर स्वरूपाच्या क्रारी प्रलंविब आहे:- अ.क्र.

क्रारदाराचे ाव क्रारीचे स्वरूप श्री #ांाराम पू सरोदे क्रारदार यांच्या पुणीच्या मृदेह व्हिव्हसेरा राखू ठेवला ाही. सेच मृत्यूचे काळ वितिP कारण ठरविवण्यासाठी रासाय प्रयोग#ाळेकडे अंतिम अहवाला करिरा हेू पुरस्कार पाठविवला सल्याे सदर मृदेहाचे पोस्ट मॉट+म करणारे ांदगाव ग्रामीण रुग्णालय जिजल्हा ाशि#क येथील डॉक्टर बोरसे यांच्याकडू #वविवच्छेदाच्या अहवालाची मागणी करू विवर्भागीय चौक#ी करण्याची मागणी केली आहे श्रीमी वत्सला #ंकर पवार व श्री. अशिर्भषेक अ. विवघे क्रारदार यांच्या मुलीच्या मृदेह विवविहरी आढळला होा. सदर मृदेहाचे पोस्टमाट+म करणारे ांदगाव ग्रामीण रुग्णालय जिजल्हा ाशि#क येथील डॉक्टर बोरसे यांी विदलेला पी.एम. रिरपोट+ सं#यास्पद असल्याची क्रार करू त्या त्यांची सखोल चौक#ी करू कारवाई करू त्यांच्यावर बडर्फ+ करण्याची मागणी केली आहे. श्री अशिर्भषेक अ.

विवघे क्रारदार यांी डॉक्टर बोरसे यांी सप+दं# रुग्ण, निंवचू दं# रुग्ण व श्वा दं# रुग्ण यांची रजिजस्टर मध्ये खोटी ोंद करू भ्रष्टाचार केल्याबाब आपल्याविवरुद्ध क्रारी प्रलंविब असाा सदर क्रारींबाब सविवस्र चौक#ी करू योग्य ी #हावि#ा करा आपल्या राजीामा ामंजूर केल्यास आपणास योग्य ी संी विदली ाही असे समजले जाऊ े ैसर्गिगक न्यायत्त्वाच्या विवरुद्ध होईल. सेच आपला राजीामा मंजूर केल्यास व दंर उक्त प्रलंविब क्रारी थ्य असल्याचे आढळू आल्यास आपला राजीामा मंजूर केल्याे #ासाची प्रतिमा मली होऊ क्रारदारास न्याय विदल्याे साव+जविक विहास बाा पोहोचेलं. आपण सदर राजीामा साव+वित्रक आशिण विवासर्भा विवडणूक-2024 लढविवण्याकरा दे आहा, याबाब #ासास कोणीही पूव+कल्पा व्ही. सदर बाब आपल्या वविकलाे विद. २२.१०.

२०२४ रोजी #ासास विदलेल्या रीट यातिचका संदर्भा+ील ोटी#ीमुळे विद#+ास आली आहे त्यामुळे आपल्या विवरुद्ध प्रलंविब असलेल्या क्रारींबाब चौक#ी करण्यास पुरेसा अवी विमळाल्याे राजीामेबाब सांगपांग विवचार करू ात्काळ यथोतिच विण+य घेणे #क्य होणार ाही. #ास विण+य, सामान्य प्र#ास विवर्भाग, विद. 0 २.१२.

विदांकापासू एक मविहन्याचा अवी पूण+ होण्याच्या आ कळविवण्याची रूद आहे आपण २२.१०.२०२४ रोजी राजीाम्याची ोटीस विदलेली आहे या बाबी विवचारा घेा, आपल्या विवरुद्धच्या प्रलंविब क्रारीचे गांर्भीय+ पाहा सद्यस्थिस्थी आजच्या ारखेला आपला राजीामा स्वीकारा ये ाही.

सदर बाब आपण सक्षम प्रातिकाऱ्याच्या मान्येे कळविवण्या ये आहे. (सं. ों.डगळे) अवर. सतिचव , महाराष्ट्र #ास 5) Mr. Naik, the learned Senior Advocate appearing for the Petitioner would rely upon the guidelines issued by the General Health Department of the State Government relating to acceptance of resignation of Government Servant. Under para-2(a)(5) of the said Guidelines, Government Servant needs to issue notice of one month before tendering resignation or to offer payment of wages of one month in lieu of such notice. Under Clause 2(a)(11) of the guidelines, the resignation can be accepted only in the following four eventualities :

(i)if there are no dues payable by the Government Officer/Employee to the Government.

(ii)if he is not under suspension.

(iii)if there is no Departmental Enquiry pending/proposed against him.

(iv)if he has tendered resignation with one month's notice in advance or deposited the amount of wages of one month in lieu of such notice.

6) Clause-2(a)(11) of the Guidelines dated 2 December 1997 reads thus :

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(11) सक्षम प्रातिकाऱ्याला #ासकीय अतिकाऱ्याचे/ कम+चाऱ्यांचे राजीामा पत्र प्राप्त होाच, त्यांी त्याबाबची काय+वाही प्राान्याे सुरू करावी आशिण राजीामा स्वीकारण्याच्या प्रकरणी विवविह अटींची पू+ा हो असल्यास, सदरहू राजीामा स्वीकृीचे आदे# योग्य त्या स्रावर ात्काळ विग+विम करण्या यावे. (अ) #ासकीय अतिकाऱ्याकडू /कम+चाऱ्याकडू #ासास कोणत्याही प्रकारचे येणे सेल, (ब) त्यास विलंविब करण्या आले सेल, (क) त्याच्याविवरुद्ध कोणीही विवर्भागीय चौक#ी प्रलंविब प्रस्ाविव सेल, (ड) त्याे एक मविहन्याची पूव+ सूचा देऊ राजीामा विदला असेल निंकवा निंकवा पूव+सूचे ऐवजी एक मविहन्याच्या मूळ वेाची रक्कम #ासाकडे जमा केली असेल.

उपरोक्त (अ) े (क) येथील अटींची पू+ा हो असेल परंु संबंतिाे राजीामा पत्र देण्याबाबची एक मविहन्याची पूव+सूचा विदलेली सेल र पूव+सूचे पूव+सूचेसाठी जेवढा कालावी कमी पड असेल त्या कालावीच्या प्रमाणा वेाची रक्कम जमा करण्याबाब #ासकीय अतिकाऱ्याला/ कम+चाऱ्याला सांगण्या यावे व आवश्यक ी रक्कम जमा केल्या ंर राजीामा ात्काळ स्वीकारण्या यावा. ज्या प्रकरणी पूव+सूचे ऐवजी एक मविहन्याच्या वेाची रक्कम जमा करण्या आली सेल, अ#ा प्रकरणी पूव+सूचेचा एक मविहन्याचा कालावी पूण+ झाल्यांर राजीामा ात्काळ स्वीकारण्या यावा.

7) There is no dispute to the position that though the Petitioner has not given notice of one month, he expressed willingness to deposit wages for one month by his notice dated 21 October 2024. By challan dated 21 October 2024, it appears that the Petitioner has deposited an amount of Rs.65,000/- in the Government Treasury towards wages for one month.

8) There is also no dispute to the position that the Petitioner is not under suspension. No Departmental Enquiry is pending against him as of today. The only issue which is sought to be highlighted by Ms. Bhide, the learned Government Pleader is that several complaints are pending against the Petitioner, which are still under 7 of

consideration. Three such complaints are referred in the order dated 28 October 2024. Ms. Bhide has placed before us, the relevant file notings under which resignation of the Petitioner has been processed. The said file notings would indicate that the complaint of Mr. Shantaram P. Sarode was submitted on 3 January 2018 and the Directorate had summoned report by letters dated 23 March 2018 and 21 January 2019 but the Report is still awaited. So far as complaint of Smt. Vatsala Shankar Pawar (14 March 2018) and Abhishek Ashok Vighe (3 December 2020) are concerned, it appears that a Report was called for by the Government by letter dated 20 June 2021 and the Directorate has received Report dated 17 March 2023 stating that there is no prima-facie substance in the allegations levelled against him.

The said report received on 17 March 2023 has been placed before the Competent Authority on 6 August 2024 for taking appropriate decision. However, no decision has yet been taken. So far as the third complaint of Abhishek A. Vighe dated 30 May 2018 is concerned, the file notings would show that the Government has called for report from the Directorate on 5 January 2024 and the Report is still awaited.

9) Perusal of the file notings would indicate that no substance is found in one out of the three complaints and so far as the balance two complaints are concerned, though the same pertain to the year 2018, the State Government or the Directorate have not taken any decision for initiation of disciplinary enquiry against the Petitioner during past six long years.

10) Mr. Naik would invite our attention to the three Certificates issued by the District Surgeon, Nashik certifying that no 8 of

Departmental Enquiry is pending or proposed against the Petitioner and that there are no government dues from the Petitioner. Ms. Bhide would submit that the said Certificate is issued by the District Health Officer and that the Competent Authority for accepting the resignation of the Petitioner is the State Government. However, perusal of the order dated 28 October 2024 rejecting the resignation would indicate that no specific finding is recorded therein that the Government has decided to conduct any disciplinary enquiry against the Petitioner in any of the three complaints. There is no positive finding in the order dated 28 October 2024 that any Disciplinary Enquiry is proposed against the Petitioner .

In our view, therefore the case of the Petitioner is fully covered by Clause-2(a)(11) of the Guidelines dated 2 December 1997 as there is nothing on record to indicate that any disciplinary enquiry is proposed against the Petitioner. In our view, therefore the decision of the State Government rejecting the resignation of the Petitioner is misplaced. 11) The Petitioner is desirous of contesting the ensuing Assembly Elections and for that purpose has tendered resignation on 21 October 2024. Ms. Bhide, would highlight the point in the resignation letter dated 21 October 2024, Petitioner did not disclose the reason of contesting the election. In our view, it is not necessary for a Government Servant to indicate the reason for tendering the resignation.

Petitioner has put in over 10 years of service and is desirous of forgoing all the service related benefits in respect of the services already rendered by him. This is not a case involving voluntary retirement where the Government will have to pay any retiral or other benefits to the Petitioner. On account of his resignation, the Petitioner would not be entitled to any benefits from the State Government.

be put on the same pedestal as that of voluntary retirement. Since all four conditions prescribed in Clause-2(a)(11) of the Guidelines dated 2 December 1997 are satisfied in the present case, we do not see any reason why the Government could have rejected the resignation of the Petitioner.

12) The petition accordingly succeeds. The order dated 28 October 2024 is set aside. Petitioner's resignation tendered vide letter dated 21 October 2024 shall be deemed to have been accepted. The Respondent shall issue necessary relieving orders in respect of the Petitioner forthwith. It is also clarified that the order dated 28 October 2024 shall not come in the way of the Petitioner filling his nomination for the upcoming Assembly Elections. 13) It is however clarified that nothing observed in this order shall come in the way of the State Government in taking appropriate action on the basis of the complaints against the Petitioner as permissible in law. It is also clarified that the Petitioner shall not be entitled to withdraw the resignation in future. 14) With the above directions, the Writ Petition is allowed and disposed of. All Interim Applications pending therein also stand disposed of.

15) The order is dictated in the presence of the learned counsel appearing for the Respondents who shall forthwith communicate this order to the concerned authorities. [SMT. MANJUSHA A. DESHPANDE, J.] [SANDEEP V. MARNE, J.] of