Kerala High Court

P.S.Ani vs Private Motor Workers Industrial ... on 5 August, 2021

              IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

                                  PRESENT
        THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ALEXANDER THOMAS
                                    &
          THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE A. BADHARUDEEN
     THURSDAY, THE 5TH DAY OF AUGUST 2021/14TH SRAVANA, 1943
                      WRIT APPEAL NO. 642 OF 2021
 (AGAINST THE JUDGMENT DATED 07.12.2020 IN W.P.(C)NO.19159/2020
                       OF THIS HON'BLE COURT)
 APPELLANT/PETITIONER:

        P.S.ANIL, AGED 53 YEARS, PIDIYERIL HOUSE, ANARY,
        CHERUTHANA P.O., KARUVATTA, ALAPPUZHA,
        CHECKING INSPECTOR (UNDER SUSPENSION)
        PRIVATE MOTOR WORKERS INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATIVE
        SOCIETY LTD. NO.4203, KAYAMKULAM, ALAPPUZHA.

        BY ADVS.
        B.S.SWATHI KUMAR
        SMT.ANITHA RAVINDRAN
        SRI.HARISANKAR N UNNI
        SHRI.SARANGADHARAN P.
 RESPONDENTS/RESPONDENTS:

 1       PRIVATE MOTOR WORKERS INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATIVE
         SOCIETY LTD. NO.4203, KAYAMKULAM, ALAPPUZHA 690 502,
         REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY.

         THE MANAGING COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVATE MOTOR WORKERS
 2       INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD. NO.4203,
         KAYAMKULAM, ALAPPUZHA 690 502,
         REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT.

         ADVOCATE G. SAJI, INQUIRY OFFICER,
 3       PRIVATE MOTOR WORKERS INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY
         LTD. NO.4203, KAYAMKULAM, ALAPPUZHA 690 502.

 4       THE JOINT REGISTRAR OF CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES (G),
         IRON BRIDGE, ALAPPUZHA 688 011.

        SRI.K.SASIKUMAR - FOR R1 TO R3
        SRI.B.UNNIKRISHNA KAIMAL, SR. GOVT.PLEADER - FOR R4

      THIS WRIT APPEAL HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON
05.08.2021,    THE   COURT   ON    THE   SAME   DAY   DELIVERED   THE
FOLLOWING:
 Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

                                               2




           ALEXANDER THOMAS & A.BADHARUDEEN, JJ.
              -------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021
            (arising out of the judgment dated 07.12.2020 in W.P.(c)No.19159/2020
                                 of this Hon'ble Court)
      ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Dated this the 5th day of August, 2021

                                   JUDGMENT

Alexander Thomas, J

The petitioner in W.P.(c)No.19159/2020 has preferred this appeal

under Section 5 of the Kerala High Court Act so as to impugn the

judgment dated 7.12.2020 rendered by the learned Single Judge,

disposing W.P.(C)No.19159/2020 filed by the appellant herein, to the

extent the said judgment has not dealt with issues relating to the

reinstatement and payment of back wages due to the writ

petitioner/writ appellant.

2. Heard Sri.B.S.Swathi Kumar, learned Advocate appearing for

the writ appellant/writ petitioner, Sri.K.Sasi Kumar, learned counsel

appearing for respondents 1 to 3 in W.A/R1 to R3 in W.P.(C) and

Sri.B.Unnikrishnan Kaimal, learned Senior Government Pleader Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

appearing for R4/Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Alappuzha

(R4 in W.A /R4 in the W.P.(c).

3. The appellant had approached this court by filing the instant

W.P.(C)No.19159/2020 with the following prayers: (see page Nos.20 &

21 of the paper book of the writ appeal)

"(i) declare that the suspension of the employee as per Ext.P1 without issuing even show-cause notice and the disciplinary proceedings including Ext.P4 memorandum of charge non-constitution of the disciplinary subcommittee are all highly illegal and unsustainable and that all disciplinary proceedings including Ext.P4 are highly illegal, arbitrary, without competence hence legally unsustainable and liable only to be set aside and the petitioner legally entitled to be reinstated in service with all back wages treating the period spent under suspension as period spent on duty;

(ii) issue a writ of certiorari or any other appropriate writ, order or direction calling for the records leading to Exts.P1 and P4 and quash them both;

(iii) issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction commanding and compelling the 1st respondent to reinstate the petitioner in service forthwith;

(iv) issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction commanding and compelling the respondents 1 and 2 to pay all back wages treating the period spent under suspension as period spent on duty.

(v) issue such other appropriate writ order or direction as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper to Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

meet the ends of justice."

4. The learned single judge after hearing both sides, has

rendered the impugned judgment in the W.P.(c) on 7.12.2020, disposing

the above writ petition with a clear finding that the action of the 1 st

respondent employer/co-operative society in having issued the

impugned memo of charges for disciplinary action against the petitioner

by the enquiry officer was illegal and ultra vires and has been issued in a

gross violation of the dictum laid down by the Division Bench of this

Court in the case in Kodanchery Service Co-operative Bank Ltd.

v. Joshy Varghese [2020 (4) KLT 1299 (DB)] inasmuch as it has

been held by the Division Bench therein that going by the scheme of the

Act and the Rules, a memo of charges against an employee of the co-

operative society could have been issued only by the competent

appointing authority (managing committee of the society) and not by

any other authority including the disciplinary sub committee, who may

be otherwise competent to deal with disciplinary action and that the

jurisdiction of the disciplinary sub committee would start only after a

memo of charge issued by the competent appointing authority

(managing committee of the society) etc., It has also been held that even Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

the disciplinary sub committee is not competent to issue memo of

charges against a delinquent employee for the above reasons.

5. In the instant case, it is indisputable fact that the memo of

charges has been issued to the writ petitioner/appellant, not by the

competent appointing authority, but by the 3 rd respondent-enquiry

officer. Hence, in view of the violation of the dictum laid down by the

Division Bench in the above said Joshy Vargese's case [supra],

[2020 (4) KLT 1299 (DB)], the learned Single Judge has held that,

the impugned Ext.P4 memo of charges will stand quashed due to lack of

jurisdiction and liberty has been given to the respondent-employee co-

operative society to commence from the stage of issuance of fresh memo

of charges to the petitioner by the competent authority and then, to

proceed and finalise the action and till the formal issuance of the memo

of charges by the competent authority, the disciplinary enquiry already

put in place, shall be kept in abeyance. Further, the learned Single Judge

has also given liberty to the writ petitioner to claim subsistence

allowance for the period he has been kept under suspension and that if

any claim is made, the same shall be dealt with by the competent Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

authority, in accordance with law, within a period of one month from

the date of the judgment, etc.,

6. Now, Sri.B.S.Swathi Kumar, learned counsel appearing for

the appellant would submit that the appellant is satisfied with the

impugned judgment to the extent it has interfered with the issuance of

the memo of charges by the appointing authority, but would urge that

the learned Single Judge should have also dealt with the legality of the

suspension and payment of back wages inasmuch as indisputably, the

petitioner was initially suspended from service as per Ext.P1 dated

28.06.2019 and thereafter, the prior approval of the 4 th respondent-

Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies, has not been obtained for the

further continuance of Ext.P1 suspension order beyond the period of one

year therefrom (i.e. beyond 28.06.2020) and that the said action of the

respondent Co-operative Society is ultra vires the provision contained

in Rule 198(6) of the Kerala Co-operative Societies Rules, which

mandates that, suspension order beyond the period of one year can

survive only after getting the prior approval of the Joint Registrar of Co-

operative Societies and that such prior approval has not been obtained Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

in this case.

7. Respondents 1 and 2 in the W.P.(C) have already filed a

counter affidavit dated 2.11.2020 in the W.P.(C) and para No.10 thereof,

reads as follows:

"10. But for the lockdown being continued in the Society, it has been ready to reinstate the petitioner, pending disciplinary proceedings with effect from 28.06.2020 on the day when the period of suspension completed one year. Since all the buses are off road and the other business establishments viz, the tyre retreading Unit, Haripad, Service Station and the plate being unit also remain closed ever since the national lockdown from 24.03.2020, there is no place for accommodating the petitioner and so no formal orders for reinstatement could be issued. In the circumstances, it is only to be deemed that the petitioner is reinstated into service with effect from 28.06.2020 pending disciplinary proceedings but remains out due to the lockdown in the establishment."

8. Hence, it can be seen from the admitted stand of the first

respondent employer-co-operative society in para 10 of the said counter

affidavit that it is deemed that the petitioner is reinstated into service

from 28.06.2020, pending disciplinary action and that he has to remain

out due to lockdown of the establishment. Aggrieved by the above said

stand of the respondent co-operative society, the appellant had

approached the 4th respondent/Joint Registrar of Co-operative

Societies, who has now issued proceedings: HM-2516/2020 dated Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

26.7.2020, which reads as follows:

"എചച. എഎ. 2516/2020. സഹകരണ സഎഘഎ ജജജോയയിനച റജയിസജോര്‍ (ജനറല) ഓഫഫീസ,ച ജപേചയി അങജോളമ്മന്‍ ജകജോഎപ്ലകച, പേഴവങജോടയി ജഎഗഗ്ഷന്‍, ഇരുമ്പു പേജോലഎ പേയി.ഒ., ആലപഴ - 688011, ഇ-മമെയയില വയിലജോസഎ [email protected] ജഫജോണ്‍ നമ്പര്‍ - 0477-2251713, തഫീയതയി 26/07/2021

ജജജോയയിനച റജയിസജോര്‍ (ജനറല) ആലപഴ.

പ്രസയിഡനച / മസക്രട്ടറയി, പപ്രവറച ജമെജോജട്ടജോര്‍ വര്‍ജര്‍ക്കേഴച ഇന്‍നനയിയല - സഹകരണ സഎഘഎ കയിപഎ നമ്പര്‍ 4203 (KCT), കജോയഎകുളഎ പേയി.ഒ. - 690502.

സര്‍, വയിഗ്ഷയഎ: സഹകരണ വകുപച - കജോയഎകുളഎ പപ്രവറച ജമെജോജട്ടജോര്‍ വര്‍ജര്‍ക്കേഴച ഇന്‍നനയിയല സഹകരണ സഎഘഎ കയിപഎ നമ്പര്‍ 4203 (KCT) - WP(C) 19159/2020 നമ്പര്‍ വയിധയിനനജോയഎ - തുടര്‍ നടപേടയികള്‍ സസഫീകരയിക്കുന്നതച - സഎബനയിച.ച

സൂചന: 1) ബഹ. ജകരള പഹജര്‍ക്കേജോടതയിയുമട 19159/2020-)ംഎ നമ്പര്‍ റയിട്ടച മപേറഫീഗ്ഷജന്മേല പുറമപടുവയിച വയിധയിനനജോയഎ.

2) 07.07.2021 ല ഈ ആഫഫീസയില വചച നടതയിയ ഹയിയറയിഎഗച.

സൂചനയയിജലയച ശ്രദ്ധ ക്ഷണയിച്ചുമകജോള്ളുന. കജോയഎകുളഎ പപ്രവറച ജമെജോജട്ടജോര്‍ വര്‍ജര്‍ക്കേഴച ഇന്‍നനയിയല സഹകരണ സഎഘഎ കയിപഎ നമ്പര്‍ 4203 (KCT) - യയിമല ജഫീവനര്‍ക്കേജോരനജോയ ശ്രഫീ. പേയി.എസച. അനയിലയിമന സഎഘതയില നയിനഎ സസമപേന്‍ഡച മചയ്തതുമെജോയയി ബനമപട്ടച ടയിയജോള്‍ ബഹ. ജകരള പഹജര്‍ക്കേജോടതയിയയില ഫയല മചയ്ത റയിട്ടച മപേറഫീഗ്ഷജന്മേല സൂചന (1) പ്രകജോരമുള്ള വയിധയിനനജോയഎ പുറമപടുവയിചയിട്ടുണച.

ശ്രഫീ. അനയിലയിനച സഎഘതയില നയിനഎ സബസയിസ്റ്റന്‍സച അലവന്‍സച കൂടജോമത മെമറമന്തെങയിലഎ മകയയിഎ ലഭയിക്കുവജോനുമണങയില ആയതച നയിയമെജോനുസൃതഎ ഉതരവച തഫീയതയി മുതല Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

ഒരു മെജോസതയിനകഎ മകയയിഎ മചയ്യണമമെന്നച ടയി വയിധയിനനജോയതയില നയിര്‍ജര്‍ദ്ദേശയിചയിട്ടുണച.

ഇതച സഎബനയിചച ശ്രഫീ. അനയില ഈ ആഫഫീസയില സമെര്‍പയിച നയിജവദനതയിമന അടസജോനതയിലഎ, സൂചന (1) പ്രകജോരമുള്ള വയിധയിനനജോയഎ കണര്‍ക്കേയിമലടുതഎ സഎഘമതയുഎ ശ്രഫീ. അനയിലയിമനയുഎ വയിളയിചച ജചര്‍തച സൂചന (2) പ്രകജോരഎ ഹയിയറയിഎഗച നടതകയുഎ അതയിമന അടയിസജോനതയില തജോമഴ പേറയുന്ന തഫീരുമെജോനങള്‍ എടുക്കുയുഎ മചയ്തയിട്ടുണച.

1. ശ്രഫീ. പേയി.എസച. അനയിലയിമന സസമപേന്‍ഡച മചയ്ത നടപേടയി ക്രമെഎ മതറജോയ സജോഹചരനതയിലഎ ബഹ. പഹജര്‍ക്കേജോടതയി ആയതച റര്‍ദ്ദേച മചയ്ത സജോഹചരനതയിലഎ ബഹ. പഹജര്‍ക്കേജോടതയി ഉതരവച തഫീയതയി മുതല ടയിയജോന്‍ ജജജോലയിയയില പ്രജവശയിപയിര്‍ക്കേമപട്ടതജോയയി അഎഗഫീകരയിചച തഫീരുമെജോനയിച്ചു.

2. സഎഘതയില നയിനഎ ലഭയിക്കുവജോനുള്ള ശഎമ്പള തുക സഎബനയിച വയിവരങള്‍ സഎഘതയിനച ശ്രഫീ. അനയില നലകുന്ന മുറയച ആയതച പേരയിഗണയിജര്‍ക്കേണതുഎ യഥജോവയിധയി പേരയിഹരയിജര്‍ക്കേണതുമെജോണച.

3. സഎഘഎ പ്രവര്‍തനഎ പൂര്‍ര്‍ണ്ണജതജോതയില പുനരജോരഎഭയിചച സജോമ്പതയികഎ വരുന്ന മുറയച ടയിയജോമന ശഎമ്പളഎ ഉള്‍മപമടയുള്ള ആനുകൂലനങള്‍ നലകുന്നതയിനച സഎഘഎ തയ്യജോറജോമണന്നച സഎഘതയിനുജവണയി ഹജോജരജോയ പ്രസയിഡനച സമ്മതയിചയിട്ടുണച.

ജമെല സജോഹചരനതയില ബഹ. പഹജര്‍ക്കേജോടതയി വയിധയിനനജോയ പ്രകജോരമുള്ളതുഎ സൂചന (2) ഹയിയറയിഎഗയിമല തഫീരുമെജോന പ്രകജോരമുള്ള തുകകള്‍ നടപേടയികള്‍ സസഫീകരയിക്കുവജോന്‍ സഎഘതയിനു നയിര്‍ജര്‍ദ്ദേശഎ നലകുന.

തജോങളുമട വയിശസസ്തന്‍, (ഒപച) ജജജോയയിനച റജയിസജോര്‍ (ജനറല), ആലപഴ ശ്രഫീ. പേയി.എസച. അനയില, പേയിടയിജയലയില ഹഹൗസച, ആനജോരയി മചറുതന പേയി.ഒ., ആലപഴ - 690517.

ഉതരവയിന്‍ പ്രകജോരഎ (ഒപച) Writ Appeal No.642 of 2021

അസയിസ്റ്റനച റജയിസജോര്‍

പേകര്‍പച: അസയിസ്റ്റനച റജയിസജോര്‍ (ജനറല), കജോര്‍തയികപള്ളയി (സൂചന (2) പ്രകജോരമുള്ള ഹയിയറയിഎഗയിമല തഫീരുമെജോനങള്‍ സഎഘഎ പേജോലയിക്കുന- ജണജോമയന്നച പേരയിജശജോധയിചച റയിജപജോര്‍ട്ടച മചജയ്യണതജോണച. "

9 Hence, it can be seen that, it has been ordered by the 4 th

respondent-Joint Registrar that in view of the impugned judgment of

the learned Single Judge in W.P.(C), it shall be treated as if the

suspension order will stand rescinded and that the petitioner should be

treated to have been reinstated in to service with effect from the date of

the impugned judgment in W.P.(C) in this case viz., 7.12.2020. There is

no dispute that the date of the impugned judgment of this W.P.(C) is

7.12.2020. Further, it appears that, it is for the co-operative society to

deal with the facts and figures relating to the arrears of salary payable to

the petitioner and that on furnishing the said facts and figures by the co-

operative society, further steps in the matter should also be taken. In

view of the above proceedings dated 26.7.2021, no other orders and