Madras High Court
Balamurugan vs The Chairman on 18 December, 2025
Author: M. Dhandapani
Bench: M. Dhandapani
W.P. No.48345 of 2025
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 18.12.2025
CORAM:
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M. DHANDAPANI
W.P. No.48345 of 2025
and
WMP.Nos. 53985 and 53986 of 2025
Balamurugan ... Petitioner
vs.
1. The Chairman
PRTC/Secretary(Transport),
Puducherry Road Transport
Corporation Ltd,
Puducherry -605 001.
2.The Managing Director,
Puducherry Road Transport
Corporation Ltd,
Raja Nagar,
Puducherry-605 013.
3.The General
Manager(Administration),
Puducherry Road Transport
Corporation Ltd, Raja Nagar,
Puducherry -605 013.
… Respondents
Prayer : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India
praying to issue Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records on the
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W.P. No.48345 of 2025
rd
file of the 3 respondent in impugned order in No.01/PRTC/CI/Rep/2024/362
dated 19.07.2024 and quash the same and consequently direct the 3rd
respondent to provide the increment to the Petitioner and also the salary for the
suspension period.
For petitioner : Mr.S.Lakshmi Narayanan
For respondents : Mr.R.Sreedhar
Additional Government Pleader (Pondy)
------
ORDER
The challenge in this Writ Petition is to the order of the 3 rd respondent dated 19.07.2024 and to quash the same and consequently direct the 3 rd respondent to provide increment to the Petitioner and also the salary for the suspension period.
2. The case of the petitioner is that the petitioner was appointed as a conductor on a daily-rated basis in the Respondent-Corporation on 11.11.2005 and his services were regularized vide order dated 02.11.2010. While so, on 22.03.2024, while he was on duty in Route Bus No.604-B bearing Registration No.PY-01-BY-1527 plying from Nagapattinam to Karaikal, a group of 17 passengers boarded the bus at Nagore and were travelling to Vaanjur. The bus was overcrowded and the said passengers had given a single currency note of Rs.500/-. The petitioner returned the balance amount to them and was in the process of issuing the tickets, Before the tickets could be issued, the Checking 2/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 22/01/2026 04:10:01 pm ) W.P. No.48345 of 2025 Inspector boarded the bus at Nagore itself and recorded that the above passengers were travelling without tickets. Despite the explanation given by the petitioner, he was placed under suspension from 22.03.2024 to 19.07.2024. Subsequently, the suspension was revoked vide order dated 19.07.2024 and he resumed duty. It is further stated that the 3rd respondent, without conducting any enquiry or affording sufficient opportunity of hearing, passed the impugned order dated 19.07.2024 imposing the penalty of stoppage of increment for three years with cumulative effect and further stated that no salary will be paid to the petitioner for the suspension period. Challenging the same, the present writ petition has been filed.
3. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner would submit that the even assuming that the petitioner had committed the alleged misconduct, the respondent concerned ought to have conducted an enquiry, in order to enable the petitioner to defend his case. But without doing so, the 3 rd respondent passed the impugned order and therefore the same suffers from violation of principles of natural justice. He therefore prays to set aside the same.
4. Learned Additional Government Pleader appearing for the respondents fairly submitted that the order impugned herein may be set aside and the 3/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 22/01/2026 04:10:01 pm ) W.P. No.48345 of 2025 respondent concerned will conduct enquiry after issuing show cause notice to the petitioner and thereafter pass appropriate orders, as per the standing orders of the Respondent Corporation.
6. Considering the submissions made by the learned counsel appearing on either side, this Court is inclined to set aside the order passed by the 3 rd respondent dated 19.07.2024.
7. Accordingly, the order impugned herein is set aside and the matter is remanded back to the Authority. The Authority concerned shall issue Show Cause Notice to the petitioner and thereafter shall conduct full fledged enquiry and shall pass appropriate orders as per the standing orders of the Respondent Corporation.
8. With the above directions, this writ petition stands disposed of. No costs. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous Petitions are closed.
18.12.2025 Index:Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation : Yes/No arr 4/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 22/01/2026 04:10:01 pm ) W.P. No.48345 of 2025 To
1. The Chairman PRTC/Secretary(Transport), Puducherry Road Transport Corporation Ltd, Puducherry -605 001.
2.The Managing Director, Puducherry Road Transport Corporation Ltd, Raja Nagar, Puducherry-605 013.
3.The General Manager(Administration), Puducherry Road Transport Corporation Ltd, Raja Nagar, Puducherry -605 013.
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arr W.P.No.48345 of 2025 18.12.2025 6/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 22/01/2026 04:10:01 pm )