In a significant ruling, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by a court employee challenging his removal from service on charges of corruption and submitting fake complaints. The Hon’ble Sri Justice R. Raghunandan Rao and Hon’ble Smt. Justice Sumathi Jagadam upheld the disciplinary action taken by the State Legal Services Authority, emphasizing zero tolerance toward misconduct by public servants.
The petitioner, Kummari Satyanarayana, was serving as a Record Assistant at the Mandal Legal Services Authority in Kurnool district. He was accused of three major charges: submitting false complaints with forged signatures against the Junior Civil Judge-cum-Chairman of the committee, using abusive language and creating a hostile work environment, and demanding bribes from State Bank of India field officers for releasing certified award copies of cases settled in Lok Adalats.
During the departmental inquiry, multiple witnesses, including bank officials, were examined. While some turned hostile, one witness (PW.6) stood by the complaint, stating that the petitioner indeed demanded illegal gratification. The enquiry officer held the employee guilty of charges 1 and 3, and the disciplinary authority imposed the penalty of removal from service.
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The petitioner contested the findings, arguing that the statements of a single witness were insufficient to establish guilt and that handwriting comparison-used to prove he authored the fake complaints-should have been referred to an expert. Rejecting these arguments, the court noted that the enquiry officer and disciplinary authority, being judicial officers, were competent to compare handwriting based on daily exposure to official documents.
Delivering the judgment, the Hon’ble Court stated, “An employee of the court who indulges in creating fake complaints against his superior officers and demands illegal gratification from bank officials is not fit to continue in service.” The court found the punishment proportionate to the gravity of the misconduct.
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This judgment reinforces the need for integrity among court staff and affirms that disciplinary authorities are empowered to take strict action against corrupt practices, even without external evidence, when testimony and documents are clear and convincing.
Case Title: Kummari Satyanarayana vs. The State Legal Service Authority and Others
Case Number: W.P. No. 29466 of 2022
