In Brief
A State employee was charged with demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 for deleting a name from a land record. Although the Special Judge acquitted him in a criminal trial for insufficient evidence of demand, a parallel disciplinary inquiry found misconduct and imposed compulsory retirement. The High Court set aside this penalty, but the Supreme Court held that criminal acquittal does not bar disciplinary proceedings, which operate under different standards and rules of evidence. Finding the inquiry fairly conducted with credible evidence from the shadow witness and investigating officer, the Court restored the compulsory retirement, clarifying that judicial review cannot re-appreciate evidence but only examine natural justice compliance and evidential sufficiency.
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