In Brief
A Village Accountant in Karnataka was charged with demanding and accepting a bribe and was acquitted in a criminal trial. However, disciplinary proceedings were initiated, and he was found guilty of misconduct and compulsory retired. The High Court quashed the penalty, but the Supreme Court allowed the State's appeal. The Court held that disciplinary and criminal proceedings operate under different standards: misconduct need only be proved on preponderance of probabilities, not beyond reasonable doubt, and strict rules of evidence do not apply. The Court ruled the High Court exceeded its jurisdiction by re-appreciating evidence, and that an acquittal in criminal court does not prevent disciplinary action based on the same facts if different evidence is presented.
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