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The specific contention of the respondents before this Court is that, on account of pendency of the criminal proceedings against this petitioner, The Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada City herein/ Respondent No.5 addressed a letter in C.No.21/PR/2014dated 23.06.2015 with a request to send the stage of the ACB case against the petitioner and G.Ravindra Babu, PC-2408 and also send necessary draft charges against them for taking necessary action. Subsequently, Respondent No.l issued Orders vide Memo No.13/SC-A/A2/2016-1 dated 31.05.2016, the Director General of Police, A.P, Mangalagiri/Respondent No.2 vide memorandum Rc.No.902/Appeal-3/ACB/2014, dated 13.06.2016 requested the 5th respondent to issue orders of revocation of suspension of the petitioner and G.Ravindra Babu, PC-2408, Bhavanipuram PS, Vijayawada City and reinstated them into service, immediately, without prejudice to the cases pending against them. Accordingly the 5th respondent reinstated the petitioner into service without prejudice to the cases pending against him and posted him at different places. The 5th Respondent addressed a letter vide C.No.21/PR/2014-16, dated 26.06.2016 to MSM,J the 2nd respondent with a request to send draft charges against the petitioner and another accused in Anti-Corruption Bureau case to frame Articles of Charge against them and to proceed further in the departmental enquiry. In turn, the 2nd respondent addressed a letter to 1st respondent with a request to issue orders on the proposal of 5th respondent for orders to initiate disciplinary action against the petitioner and another accused. The 1st respondent after careful examination of the final report of the Investigation Agency and keeping in view of the contentions raised by the petitioner and remarks of the Director General, Anti Corruption Bureau thereon, have come to the conclusion that there are some discrepancies in the investigation of the case by Anti Corruption Bureau. The 1st respondent ordered vide G.O.Rt.No.381 Home (SC- A) Dept., dated 10.05.2017 to initiate departmental action against the petitioner instead of prosecution, on the allegation of corruption. Accordingly, the 2nd respondent was directed to take necessary action to initiate departmental action against the petitioner duly obtaining the articles of charges etc., on the allegation of corruption from Director General, Anti Corruption Bureau and submit the Oral Enquiry Report to Government at an early date for taking further action. On that the 1st respondent addressed a letter vide Rc.No.902/T3/ACB/2014 dated 21.06.2017 to the Director General, Anti Corruption Bureau, A.P, Vijayawada with a request to send draft articles of charge, statement of imputations etc., directly to the 5th respondent to initiate departmental action against the petitioner as per the order of Government. The 5th respondent addressed a letters in C.No.21/PR/2014 dated 17.10.2014 and 26.04.2018 to the MSM,J Director General, ACB, AP, Vijayawada, with a request to furnish necessary draft charges against the petitioner and another accused for taking necessary action. While matters stood thus, the court of the Special Judge for SPE & ACB cases at Vijayawada issued order in R.C.S.No.6/2018 in Cr.No.12/RCT-ACB-VJA/2014, dated 21.08.2018 of ACB, Vijayawada Range closing the F.I.R against the petitioner since the complainant orally reported that he has no objection to close the F.I.R and further stated that he was reimbursed and also filed same in writing and the same is recorded. Again the 5th respondent addressed a letters in C.No.2l/PR/2014 dated 01.09.2018 and 19.11.2018 to the Director General, ACB, AP, Vijayawada with a request to furnish necessary draft charges against the petitioner and another accused for taking further action. The 1st respondent vide Memo No.4/SC.A/A2/20l4-13 date 05.07.2019 forwarded copies of draft articles of charge in respect of the petitioner and G.Ravindra Babu, PC-2408 to the 2nd respondent to frame Articles of Charge against them, obtain Statement of defence, examine the same and to appoint an Inquiring Authority to enquire into the charges framed against them and submit the Oral Enquiry Report along with provisional decision of the disciplinary authority, to the 1st respondent, for taking further action in the matter. The 2nd respondent vide Memorandum Rc.No.902/T3/ACB/2014 dated 26.07.2019 sent the copies of draft articles of charge in respect of the petitioner and G.Ravindra Babu, PC-2408 to 5th Respondent with a request to initiate Departmental action under Rule 20 of Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (CC & A) Rules, 1991, against the petitioner and G.Ravindra Babu, PC-2408 and submit the enquiry MSM,J report and other material along with provisional decision of the 5th respondent, within the stipulated period prescribed in APCS (CC & A) Rules, 1991, for onward transmission to the 1st respondent, for finalization of the issue by the 1st respondent. On receipt of draft articles of charge by the 5th respondent on 30.07.2019, articles of charge vide C.No.21/PR/2014, dsyrf:18.03.2020 were served on the petitioner and receipt of the same was acknowledged on 23.03.2020, thus, the delay was on account of departmental procedure, but not for any other reason and hence, on the ground of delay, the Articles of Charges framed against this petitioner cannot be quashed.

S.No Letter and Date Addressed Addressed To Gist/request in the By letter 1 Dis.No.138/ADCP- Addl. DCP (Crimes) Commissioner Submitted Crimes/2014 Vijayawada City of Police, Preliminary report Dated 26.08.2014 Vijayawada mentioning ample City (R-5) evidence of accepting bribe 2 C.No.21/PR/2014 Commissioner of Request to send the Dated 23.06.2015 Police, Vijayawada stage of ACB case City (R-5) against the petitioner and to send necessary draft charges for taking necessary action 3 Memo No.13/SC- Principal Secretary to Commissioner To issue orders of A/A2/2016-1 Government (R-1) of Police, revocation of Dated 31.05.2016 Vijayawada suspension of the MSM,J And And City (R-5) petitioner Rc.No.902/Appeal-
     3/ACB/2014           Director General of
     Dated 13.06.2016     Police (R-2)
4    D.O.No.587/2016      Commissioner        of                      Petitioner         was
     Dated 20.06.2016     Police,    Vijayawada                       reinstated         into
                          City (R-5)                                  service
5    C.No.21/PR/2014-     Commissioner        of   Director           Request to send draft
     16                   Police,    Vijayawada    General       of   charges against the
     Dated 26.06.2016     City (R-5)               Police, A.P        petitioner to frame
                                                   (R-2)              articles of charge and
                                                                      to proceed further in
                                                                      departmental enquiry
6                         Director General of      Principal          Requesting to issue
                          Police (R-2)             Secretary  to      orders       on     the
                                                   Government         proposal             of
                                                   (R-1)              Commissioner         of
                                                                      Police, Vijayawada

7    G.O.Rt.No.381        Principal Secretary to                      To            initiate
     Home        (SC-A)   Government (R-1)                            departmental action
     Dept.,                                                           against the petitioner
     dated 10.05.2017                                                 instead             of
                                                                      prosecution on the
                                                                      allegation          of
                                                                      corruption.

                                                                      Also    directed   the
                                                                      Director General of
                                                                      Police     to    take
                                                                      necessary action to
                                                                      initiate departmental
                                                                      action against the
                                                                      petitioner       duly
                                                                      obtaining the articles
                                                                      of charges.


8    Rc.No.902/T3/        Principal Secretary to   Director           To send draft articles
     ACB/2014             Government (R-1)         General, ACB,      of charge, statement
     Dated 21.06.2017                              Vijayawada         of imputations
9    C.No.21/PR/2014-     Commissioner        of   Director           To furnish necessary
     16                   Police,    Vijayawada    General, ACB,      draft charges against
     Dated 17.10.2014     City (R-5)               Vijayawada         the    petitioner   for
     And                                                              taking          further
     26.04.2018                                                       necessary action.
10   R.C.S.No.6 of 2018   Special Judge for                           Closed the F.I.R
     dated 21.08.2018     SPE & ACB Cases at
                          Vijayawada

11   C.No.21/PR/2014-     Commissioner        of   Director           To furnish necessary
     16                   Police,    Vijayawada    General, ACB,      draft charges against
     Dated 01.09.2018     City (R-5)               Vijayawada         the    petitioner    for
     And                                                              taking          further
     19.11.2018                                                       necessary action.
12   Memo                 Principal Secretary to   Director           Forwarded copies of
     No.4/SC.A/A2         Government (R-1)         General       of   draft    articles     of
     /2014-13                                      Police, A.P        charge in respect of
     dated 05.07.2019                                                 the    petitioner     to
                                                   (R-2)              frame     Articles    of
                                                                      Charge,          obtain
                                                                      written statement of
                                                                      defence, examine and
                                                                      to     appoint       an
                                                                      Inquiring Authority to
                                                                      enquire     into    the
                                                                      charges
                                                                                  MSM,J






13       Rc.No.902/T3       Director General of   Commissioner      Sent copies of draft
         /ACB/2014          Police, A.P (R-2)     of      Police,   articles of charge in
         dated 26.07.2019                         Vijayawada        respect      of   the
                                                  City (R-5)        petitioner
14                                                                  Charges received by
         Dated 30.07.2019                                           Commissioner        of
                                                                    Police,    Vijayawada
                                                                    City

         16                                                         the petitioner
         Dated 18.03.2020
16       23.03.2020                                                 Acknowledgment  of
                                                                    the charges by the
                                                                    petitioner




It is not the case of the petitioner that, the respondents have slept over the matter without taking up the process for initiation of disciplinary proceedings against this petitioner. The respondents started this process by addressing letter C.No.21/PR/2014-16 dated 26.06.2016 which is at Serial No.5 of the table referred supra, by the Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada City to the Director General of Police, A.P requesting to send draft charges against the petitioner to frame articles of charge and to proceed further in the departmental enquiry, after reinstating the petitioner by order D.O.No.587/2016 dated 20.06.2016. But, the delay was on account of various stages of proceedings and in fact, the criminal prosecution against this petitioner was closed in R.C.S.No.6 of 2018 dated 21.08.2018 by the Special Judge for SPE & ACB cases at Vijayawada. The closure was on account of discrepancies in the investigation process by the Anti-Corruption Bureau officials. Whatever the reason may be for closure of the criminal prosecution against this petitioner, it is irrelevant for the purpose of deciding this issue.