Jerath dismissed from govt service

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 9: The UT chief engineer K.K. Jerath has been dismissed from government service with immediate effect, by the UT Admini...

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 9: The UT chief engineer K.K. Jerath has been dismissed from government service with immediate effect, by the UT Administrator Lt Gen B.K.N. Chhibber retd, for committing gross misconduct by wilfully absenting himself from headquarters Chandigarh during suspension.

The dismissal, which disqualifies Jerath from future employment in government service, came through an order of the UT Administrator. This was announced through a press release by the UT Administration here today. The Administrator, while exercising powers under the Punjab Civil Services Punishment and Appeal Rules, 1970, imposed a penalty of dismissal from service on Jerath after the charges of his committing gross misconduct by wilfully absenting himself from headquarters Chandigarh during suspension, were proved against him in an inquiry conducted by the Enquiry Officer, Satish Chandra, Managing Director of Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation CITCO.

The Administrator, being the disqualifying authority, has come to the conclusion that it stood clearly proved that Jerath while wilfully absenting himself also resorted to various unbecoming means to do so, which included giving of false addresses. Jerath was earlier served a memo of charges on August 10, 1998, under the Punjab Civil Service Punishment and Appeal Rules, 1970, as applicable to employees of the Union Territory. After considering Jerath8217;s reply to the charge-sheet served on him, an Inquiry Officer was appointed to inquire into the charges framed against him. Jerath had in his reply to the charge-sheet stated that he had gone to Delhi, where he fell sick and later got treatment there and at Varanasi. He had also submitted medical reports to substantiate his claim.

The Inquiry Offaicer submitted his report on November 28, a copy of which was sent to Jerath with an opportunity to make any representation on it. Sources say that instead of making a representation, Jerath filed an application in the Central Administrative Tribunal and after the orders of CAT on his application, Jerath made a representation on December 23, 1998.

Incidentally, Jerath after being declared a proclaimed offender by a local court, had surrendered before a magistrate on November 27, an hour before the enquiry proceedings regarding his quot;wilful absence from the headquarters uring suspensionquot; were fixed for his defence in the CITCO office.

An FIR was earlier registered against him on February 3 and after rejection of his bail in various courts he was declared a PO on May 28, 1998.