IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. C.W.P. No. 18185 of 2007. Date of Decision : December 22, 2008. Parveen Kumar Jain ........ Petitioner. Versus State Bank of Patiala and others ......... Respondents. -.- CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ASHUTOSH MOHUNTA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH. -.- Present:- Mr. Vikas Vishnoi, Advocate, for Mr. R.N. Lohan, Advocate, for the petitioner. Mr. H.N. Mehtani, Advocate, for the respondents. -.- ASHUTOSH MOHUNTA, J. (ORAL) Petitioner has prayed for quashing the order dated 10.01.2007 (Anneuxre-P-7) passed by respondent No. 3 and the order dated 17.05.2007 (Annexure-P-9) passed by the respondent No. 2, vide which the petitioner has been awarded penalty of bringing down his pay to lower stage in the scale of pay by one stage without cumulative effect in terms of clause 6(e) of Memorandum of Settlement of Disciplinary Action Procedure for workmen signed between Indian Bank Association and workmen on 10.04.2002. The petitioner while working in State Bank of Patiala, Safidon Branch, was charge-sheeted as enumerated in the charge- sheet Annexure-P-1. He was held guilty of the following charges :- (i) The delinquent employee defaced the drafts of the branch by writing at his own; (ii) Is in habit of keeping the work of branch pending; (iii) Threatened the Chief Manager/Dy. Manager of Jind (Main) Branch to commit suicide. C.W.P. No. 18185 of 2007. -2- The following charges were also partially proved against the petitioner :- (i) Performance of Sh. Parveen Kumar Jain, S.W.O. in the duty/work assigned relating to C.I.F. Of SBI-Life business is low. (ii) Sh. Parveen Kumar Jain, while working at Jind Branch, created new batch for clearing instead of modifying, which resulted into double debits of 3 drafts creating GLIF entries. On the basis of aforementioned charges, the petitioner was awarded penalty of bringing down his pay to lower stage in the scale of pay by one stage without cumulative expenses. The appeal filed by the petitioner was dismissed vide Annexure-P-9. Perusal of the impugned order shows that the inquiry was held in fair manner and the petitioner was given due opportunity of hearing. The disciplinary authority after considering the evidence held the petitioner guilty. The charges as mentioned above have been proved against the petitioner. We find no merit in the punishment awarded by respondents to the petitioner which in our considered view is infact on the lower side. Finding no merit in this writ petition, the same is dismissed. (ASHUTOSH MOHUNTA) JUDGE (AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH) JUDGE December 22, 2008.. sjks.