Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 26: High Court today upheld the punishments awarded to a branch manager of J&K Bank for sanctioning and granting huge amounts of loan without following the procedure of law.
The petitioner-Bashir Ahmad Dar was placed at various places as Incharge branch manager and he was found to be in misconduct and accordingly various punishments were awarded to him by the Bank which include reduction of basic pay to lowest stage in the pay scale and debarred for future promotion.
His Subsistence allowance drawn during the period of suspension has also been treated as his salary for the period so spent by him as also he has been held personally responsible for the smooth recovery of the loan accounts and also to reimburse any financial loss caused or likely to be caused to the bank by reasons of the charges provided and established against him, any arears of salary, terminal benefits etc. accrued or due to him has been kept in Sundry account towards adjustment of the loan accounts and no credit facility under Staff Loan Scheme of the bank be sanctioned in his favour. He has been stopped to hold independent charge of the branch or office of the bank.
Challenging all these punishments in a petition, Justice Sanjay Dhar dismissed the same does not have any merit. He was served with four charge sheets and after submission of the enquiry report he was served with a notice with the punishment of dismissal from services. But he was given punishments which he challenged instead of his dismissal.
Respondent-Bank informed the court that the delinquent official has advanced huge loans to non-existent persons whose whereabouts are unknown, that too on fake and fictitious documents of security and despite the fact he did not respond to charge sheets dated 03.12.2012, 01.03.2013 and 19.03.2013, he was allowed to participate in the enquiry proceedings that were conducted in the aforesaid three charge sheets. It has been submitted that the petitioner was granted every opportunity to examine the records and to plead his case so as to justify his innocence by rebutting the allegations made against him.
Justice Dhar recorded while holding the punishments awarded to the bank official as lucid and cogent.
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