IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE K.C. BHANU WRIT PETITION No.15208 of 2011 Date:08.06.2011 Between: V. Raja .....Petitioner AND The A.P.S.R.T.C., rep. By its Chairman and Managing Director, Hyderabad and 3 others. ....Respondents The Court made the following: THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE K.C. BHANU WRIT PETITION No.15208 of 2011 ORDER: This writ petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to declare the impugned proceedings dated 17.05.2011 issued by the respondents placing the petitioner under suspension as illegal and arbitrary and consequently set aside the same. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Standing Counsel appearing for the respondents. The allegation is that the petitioner has presided over the committee meeting of his union on 05.04.2011 from 15.30 hours to 18.00 hours in the middle of his duty hours and thereby he was absent for duty for about 2 ½ hours and therefore, he was placed under suspension for misconduct. Prima facie it cannot be shown to be a serious misconduct on the part of the petitioner so as to place him under suspension, but at the same time it is a serious neglect on his part in conducting meeting in the middle of duty hours. There can not be any dispute that normally when a disciplinary authority or the appointing authority seeks to suspend an employee pending inquiry into grave charges of misconduct, the order of suspension would be passed after taking into consideration the gravity of misconduct sought to be inquired into and the nature of the evidence placed before the disciplinary authority and application of mind by disciplinary authority. A.P.S.R.T.C authorities are at liberty to place an employee under suspension on the ground of serious misconduct, but at the same time the misconduct should be in relation to discharge of his duties. Hence, the proceedings of the respondents dated 17.05.2011 suspending the petitioner for the alleged misconduct is set aside and the respondents are at liberty to conduct an enquiry in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the service conditions of the petitioner and take appropriate decision uninfluenced by any observations made in this order. Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of with the above observations. No order as to costs. _______________ K.C. BHANU, J June, 08, 2010 Gk. THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE K.C. BHANU WRIT PETITION No.15208 of 2011 08th June, 2011 Gk.