IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civl Writ Petition No.11961 of 2010 Date of Decision : September 05, 2011. Dr.S.K.Goyal .....Petitioner versus State of Punjab and others .....Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT. Present : Mr.Lokesh Sinhal, Advocate, for the petitioner. Mr.B.S.Chahal, DAG, Punjab. -.- 1. Whether Reporters of Local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? --- Surya Kant, J. (Oral) The petitioner retired from service w.e.f. 30.6.2004 on attaining the age of superannuation. His gratuity was admittedly with-held and after about three years, a charge-sheet dated 8.10.2007 was served upon him. The disciplinary proceedings were dropped on 26.5.2009 and thereafter the payment of gratuity was sanctioned on 7.1.2010. The petitioner now seeks interest on the delayed payment of the gratuity. The aforementioned facts are not in dispute. The fact that the Enquiry Officer exonerated the petitioner and held that no financial loss was caused by him and the disciplinary proceedings stood dropped, is sufficient enough to hold that the payment of gratuity to the petitioner was CWP No.11961 of 2010 [2] withheld for insufficient reasons. The writ petition is accordingly allowed to the extent that the petitioner is held entitled to interest @ 7% per annum which shall be paid to him w.e.f. 1.10.2004 till the actual payment of gratuity. The arrears of interest shall be paid within a period of four months from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order. Ordered accordingly. Dasti. September 05, 2011 (SURYA KANT) Mohinder JUDGE