Bombay High Court
Indian Navy ) Presently Residig At ... vs The Chief Vigilance Commissioner on 5 February, 2009
Author: Swatanter Kumar
Bench: Swatanter Kumar, D.Y. Chandrachud
1
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION
PIL WRIT PETITION NO. 77 OF 2008
Dr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, )
(former Surgeo Lt. Commander of the )
Indian Navy ) presently residig at Asvini )
Wardroom Mess, INHS hospital, )
R.C. Church, Colaba, Mumbai - 400 005. ).. Petitioner
Versus
1. The Chief Vigilance Commissioner, )
Government of India, )
Central Vigilance Commission, )
Satarkata Bhawan, )
G.P. O.Complex, Block A,
ig )
INA - New Delhi - 110023. )
2. Chairman & Managing Director )
Neclear Power Corporation of )
India Ltd., Vikram Sarabhai Bhavan,)
Central Avenue, Anushakti Nagar, )
Mumbai - 400 094. )
3. Dr. N.K. Ajmera, )
Medical Superintendent, )
Kakrapur Atomic Power Station )
hospital, Surat - 394651, Gujarat. )
4. Union of India, )
Advocates for the Union of India, )
Aayakar Bhavan, New Marine Lines,)
Mumbai - 400 )
5. The Nuclear Power Corporation )
of India Ltd., Vikram Sarabhai )
Bhavan, Central Avenu, )
Anushakti nagar, Mumbai 400 094.)
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2
6. Central Vigilance Commission, )
Satarkata Bhavan, GPO Complex, )
Block AINA, New Delhi- 110 023. )
7. Chief Vigilance Officer, )
Nuclear Power Corporation of )
India, Vikram Sarabhai Bhavan, )
Central Avenue, Anushakti Nagar, )
Mumbai - 400 094. )
8. Additional Secretary, )
Central Vigilance Commission, )
Satarkata Bhawan, G.P. O.Complex,)
Block A, INA, New Delhi-110023. )
9. Mr. S.K. Sharma, )
Additional General manager (H.R.),)
Rawatbhata Atomic Power Station, )
Via Kota, Rajasthan. ).. Respondents
--
Smt. N.Bhagwat for the Petitioner.
Shri R.B. Raghuvanshi, Additional Solicitor General along with Shri
H.K. Vardhan for Union of India.
Ms L. Munim i/by Shri R. Kothari & Co. for Respondent Nos.1, 2, 5 to
8.
--
CORAM : SWATANTER KUMAR, C.J. &
DR. D.Y. CHANDRACHUD, J
JUDGMENT RESERVED ON : 29TH JANUARY, 2009.
JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED ON : 5TH FEBRUARY, 2009.
JUDGMENT :( PER SWATANTER KUMAR, J )
1. The Petitioner, who claims to be a Medical Practitioner, having served on a short service commission for a period of five years with the Armed Forced Medical Corps in the Indian Navy as a ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:02 ::: 3 Surgeon Lt. Commander and now residing with his family at the Kakrapur Atomic Power Station where his wife is serving in a hospital, has filed the present Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India with the following prayers :
"(a) That this Hon'ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus, or a writ order or direction in the nature of Mandamus directing Respondent Nos.1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 9 to follow the procedure for major penalty and initiate a departmental enquiry against Respondent No.3 among others, in conformity with the decision taken on 29th August, 2006 (Exhibit
- F hereto ) by Respondent Nos.1 and Respondent No.5 and on the basis of the report of Respondent No.7 the Chief Vigilance Officer of Respondent No.5 the Nuclear Power Corporation Pvt. Ltd;
(b) In the alternative this Hon'ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or a writ, order or direction in the nature of Mandamus directing Respondent Nos.2, 4, 5 and 7 to initiate a departmental enquiry against Respondent Nos.3 on the basis of the report of Respondent No.5 the Chief Vigilance Officer of Respondent No.5 the National Power Corporation of India Pvt. Ltd.;
( c) That pending the hearing and final disposal of the Petition this Hon'ble High Court be pleased to restrain the Respondent Nos.2, 3, 5 and 9 from victimizing and discriminating against the wife of the Petitioner Dr.(Mrs.) Rakhi Sharma presently serving Respondent ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:02 ::: 4 No.5 as a doctor MO - E, in public interest; in the alternative such victimization will be act as a deterrent to members of the public interested in securing the better implementation of the Central Vigilance Act 2005;
(d) For ad-interim and interim relief in terms of prayers (a), (b) and ( c).
(e) That this Hon'ble Court be pleased to fix a peremptory date for final hearing of this Petition in public interest ;
(f) for such other and further reliefs as the nature and circumstances of the case may require;
(g) For costs of the Petition.
2. The above prayers have been made by the Petitioner on the premises that his wife is posted at the Kakrapur Atomic Power Station hospital and residing in that complex. Respondent No.3 is the Medical Superintendent of the Kakrapur Atomic Power Station hospital at Anumala, Vyara, Surat. It is averred by the Petitioner that he came to know about certain irregularities, omissions and commissions of Respondent No.3 particularly, in relation to functioning of the hospital including bulk purchase of medicines on the verge of expiry as per the dates notified on the medicines from local ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:02 ::: 5 medical stores and harassing the officers and officials residing in the locality. Respondent No.3, who is a person of high contact with the officials of Kakrapur Atomic Power Station, declined to cooperate.
Finally, the Petitioner made a complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission. The Commission, through its Director, forwarded the complaint to the Chief Vigilance Officer of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited for investigation. The Chief Vigilance Officer of Respondent No.5, after investigating the complaint made by the Petitioner, by report dated 5th July, 2006 forwarded a report to Respondent No.6, wherein, according to the Petitioner, it was recorded that Respondent No.3 had pressurized the visiting Ayurvedic Physician at the Kakrapur Atomic Power Station hospital to prescribe medicines to a patient and himself procured the medicines worth Rs.84,175/- for a single patient from the Imprest fund available with the hospital only earmarked for emergencies and/or contingencies to obtain urgently life saving medicines and like this, other irregularities were also found. A copy of the report has been annexed as Exhibit
-C to the Writ Petition. Despite receiving this communication, the other officials/respondents did not take appropriate steps and though Respondent No.6 had directed Respondent No.5 to conduct an ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:02 ::: 6 enquiry against Respondent No.3, Respondent No.3 was tampering with the records and harassing the doctors at the Kakrapur Atomic Power Station hospital. This activity continued and Respondent No.5 brought no results. The Petitioner once again by his letter dated 17th May, 2007 communicated to Respondent No.1 requesting them to complete enquiry and to take appropriate action against Respondent No.3 but the same was also delayed. Upon an application dated 1st December, 2007 made by the Petitioner to ascertain what progress had been made. The Petitioner once again, under the Right to Information Act 2005, addressed letters dated 3rd March, 2008 and 13th March, 2008 to Respondent No.1 and Respondent No.6 requesting them to supply copies of the communications of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. to ascertain on what facts and basis the complaint of the Petitioner was treated as closed by Respondent Nos.1 and 5. Respondent No.2, based on extraneous and irrelevant reasons, decided not to proceed with the departmental enquiry to impose major penalty upon Respondent No.3 It is also contended by the Petitioner that his family was being harassed and the concerned Respondents were not taking appropriate action ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:02 ::: 7 against Respondent No.3. On the aforesaid basis, the prayers in the present petition were made.
3. A detailed reply has been filed on behalf of the Respondents. The allegations made therein have been denied and it has been stated that the departmental enquiry had been conducted and it was nowhere found that Respondent No.3 is liable to be proceeded with and punished him against the service rules.
According to the Respondents, ig the matter in question has been looked into by the Competent Authority from various angles and it has decided not to take any action against the said Respondent No.3.
4. It is true that in the report dated 5th July, 2006 submitted by the Chief Vigilance Officer to the Director, Central Vigilance Commission, New Delhi, certain irregularities, omissions and commissions have been mentioned in that report. It has also been stated therein that Respondent No.3 had produced fake bills of medicines and had procured out of the imprest fund 12 times and recouped the imprest fund of Kakrapur Atomic Power Station Accounts and such other irregularities have also been committed.
::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:02 ::: 85. However, on the basis of the report of the Chief Vigilance Officer, the Competent Authority has examined the entire matter and one Shri Pradeep Kumar, DCI, Central Vigilance Commission, had been nominated as the Inquiry Officer to conduct the enquiry against Respondent No.3. The enquiry report was submitted and vide letter dated 1st January, 2008, the Director and CPIO of Central Vigilance Commission of Government of India, informed the Petitioner as under:-
"No.CVC/RIT/07/709-75790 GOVERNMENT OF INDIA CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMISSION Satarkta Bhawan, G.P. O. Complex Block A, INA, New Delhi 110 023.
Date : 14th December 2007 01.01.08 Shir Arvind Kumar Sharma Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Room No.2 Asvini Ward Room Mess INHS Asvini RC Church Colaba Mumbai.::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:02 ::: 9
Sub : Request under Right to Information Act 2005 Please refer to your application dated 01st December 2007.
2. In this connection, it is to inform you that in agreement with reports from NPCIL, the Commission has approved closure of the complaint against Dr. NK Ajmera. From this, it is apparent that he was not found guilty and therefore, the question of punishment reward does not arise.
Sd/-
(Arvind Kumar ) Director and CPIO Tele: 2461 8626"
6. Vide report dated 9th April, 2007, the Chairman & Managing Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited had informed the Additional Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission, that in the circumstances and details recorded in the letter under reference, he was of the considered opinion that there was no case for action against Respondent No.3 and requested them to agree with the finding which was so done by the letter dated 1st January, 2008.
The Respondents have further annexed certain documents to show that the matter has been properly investigated into and finally the Competent Authority had formed an opinion that Respondent No.3 is ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:02 ::: 10 not guilty of any misconduct. This opinion has actually been endorsed by the Vigilance Commission.
7. In the above circumstances, it is not necessary for this Court to sit as an Appellate Authority against the decision of the Disciplinary Authority and to substitute its view with that of the Disciplinary Authority. The decision not being a case of total arbitrariness and colourable exercise, such decision of the Authority would normally be accepted by the Court. Except bald allegations of high contacts of Respondent No.3, no specific averments have been made that the said Respondent has been able to influence the departmental enquiry to the extent that it has been vitiated by the vice of arbitrariness or favouratism.
8. In the case of Rajnit Prasad v. Union of India & Ors., (2000)9 SCC 313. the Supreme Court has specifically held that the disciplinary proceedings are essentially a matter between the employer and the employee and public interest litigation in such matter would hardly be maintainable. The Supreme Court held as under: -
::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:03 ::: 11"9. But a mere busybody who has no interest cannot invoke the jurisdiction of the court. In respect of departmental proceedings which are initiated or sought to be initiated by the Government against its employees, a person who is not even remotely connected with those proceedings cannot challenge any aspect of the departmental proceedings or action by filing a writ petition in the high Court or in this Court. Disciplinary action against an employee is taken by the government for various reasons principally for "misconduct" on the part of the employee. This action is taken after a "domestic" inquiry in which the employee is provided an opportunity of hearing as required by the constitutional mandate. It is essentially a matter between the employer and the employee, and a stranger, much less a practising advocate, cannot be said to have any interest in those proceedings.
Public interest of general importance is not involved in disciplinary proceedings. In fact, if such petitions are entertain at the instance of persons who are not connected with those proceedings, it would amount to an abuse of the process of court."
9. We may also notice that public interest litigation would be maintainable only to remedy the public wrong, injury and not for redressal of private or other disputes not genuinely concerned with public interest and the matters covered under the private field would hardly be made subject matter of the public interest litigation.
::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:03 ::: 1210. Furthermore, in relation to service matters the concept of public interest litigation cannot be invoked. The Supreme Court in the case of Dattaraj Nathuji Thaware v. State of Maharashtra & Ors., (2005)1 SCC 590. Following the case of Duryodhan Sahu (Dr.) v.
Jitendra Kumar Mishra, (1998)7 SCC 273, held that in service matter public interest litigations should not be entertained.
11. In view of the above stated position and the facts and circumstances of the present case, we do not think that this is a fit case where this Court should exercise its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India and allow this public interest litigation.
Though some suspicion was caused by the report of the Chief Vigilance Officer but that matter has been put at rest by the Disciplinary Authority whose view was also accepted by the Central Vigilance Commission. As such no grounds have been made out in the present case which in view of the Authorities concerned would justify interference by this Court. However, if the Petitioner has any material he may move the concerned Authorities and we have no doubt in our mind that the Authorities concerned would act in accordance with law.
::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:03 ::: 1312. The Writ Petition accordingly is disposed of, with no order as to costs.
CHIEF JUSTICE DR. D.Y. CHANDRACHUD, J ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:19:03 :::