The Madras High Court has ordered the reinstatement of a Grade-II police constable, who was removed from service on the charge of going on unauthorised leave for 20 days without information, in 2004.
Holding that the punishment was disproportionate to the nature of the charge, Justice D Hariparanthaman ordered reinstatement of S Shanmuga Rajan. According to petitioner, he entered the service as a directly recruited Gr-II constable in May 1999. He was later declared a deserter, and removed from service.
He approached the HC and a single judge dismissed his petition. Justice Hariparanthaman said that it was not in dispute that the petitioner was on casual leave from June 26 to 30, 2004. He produced medical certificate for his treatment, which was neither disputed nor doubted by the IG, Armed Police.