In Brief
An engineer selected for a Group-B post was placed on probation for two years, later reduced to one year. During probation, he received communications about unsatisfactory work. A preliminary inquiry found prima facie misconduct (unauthorized file copying), but no formal inquiry was conducted. His services were terminated at the end of the probation period. He challenged this as mala fide retaliation for objecting to a colleague's appointment to a higher position. The High Court set aside the termination, finding mala fide. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that termination of a probationer for unsatisfactory performance is not punitive and does not require a formal inquiry, even if a preliminary inquiry noted misconduct, provided the termination order itself makes no allegations of misconduct.
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