In Brief
UCO Bank appealed against a High Court order quashing the dismissal of Rajendra Shankar Shukla, a bank employee, from service. Although the dismissal order was passed before Shukla's superannuation, it was challenged after he retired. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision, holding that no substantive penalty like dismissal can be imposed after superannuation under the relevant regulations. The Court also found the proceedings vitiated due to: (1) inordinate 7-year delay in issuing the charge sheet; (2) denial of pension and subsistence allowance during the inquiry, which violated fair access to justice; and (3) the Bank's grant of promotions during the period of internal discussions. The appeal was dismissed with costs of Rs. 1 lakh awarded to Shukla.
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