In Brief
An officer dismissed from service due to a criminal conviction challenged his denial of full service benefits after the High Court acquitted him. The acquittal was based on benefit of doubt—finding the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt—rather than on full exoneration. The Supreme Court held that under Kerala Service Rules Rule 56(2), full pay and allowances are payable only when an officer is 'fully exonerated,' which requires an honourable acquittal, not merely an acquittal on benefit of doubt. Since the officer was acquitted only on benefit of doubt, he was not entitled to full service benefits. The appeals were dismissed.
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