Madhya Pradesh Poorv Kshetra Vidyut … vs Satish Kumar Kachhi on 10 July, 2026

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    Madhya Pradesh High Court

    Madhya Pradesh Poorv Kshetra Vidyut … vs Satish Kumar Kachhi on 10 July, 2026

    Author: Anand Pathak

    Bench: Anand Pathak

                                                                   1                                  WA-1449-2024
                                IN    THE       HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
                                                      AT JABALPUR
                                                           BEFORE
                                             HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE ANAND PATHAK
                                                              &
                                              HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE B. P. SHARMA
                                                       ON THE 10th OF JULY, 2026
                                                     WRIT APPEAL No. 616 of 2024
                                     MADHYA PRADESH POORV KSHETRA VIDYUT VITRAN
                                         COMPANY LTD. (MPPKVVCL) AND OTHERS
                                                        Versus
                                             ARUNENDRA PRASAD MAURYA
                              Appearance:
                                Shri Aditya Khandekar - Advocate for the appellants/MPPKVV Com. Ltd.
                                Shri Vijay Raghav Singh - Advocate for the respondent.
                                                                       WITH
                                                     WRIT APPEAL No. 1317 of 2024
                                   MADHYA PRADESH POORV KSHETRA VIDYUT VITARAN
                                              COMPANY AND OTHERS
                                                      Versus
                                             BALENDRA PRATAP SINGH
                              Appearance:
                                Shri Aditya Khandekar - Advocate for the appellants/MPPKVV Com. Ltd.
                                Shri Ajeet Kumar Singh - Advocate for the respondent.
    
                                                     WRIT APPEAL No. 1449 of 2024
                                     MADHYA PRADESH POORV KSHETRA VIDYUT VITRAN
                                              COMPANY LTD AND OTHERS
                                                        Versus
                                                SATISH KUMAR KACHHI
                              Appearance:
                                Shri Aditya Khandekar - Advocate for the appellants/MPPKVV Com. Ltd.
                                Shri Rajas Pohankar - Advocate for the respondent through video conferencing.
    
    Signature Not Verified
    Signed by: ASHISH KUMAR
    JAIN
    Signing time: 8/4/2026
    10:50:02 AM
                                                                    2                                WA-1449-2024
                                                      WRIT APPEAL No. 1724 of 2024
                                                SHAILENDRA KUSHWAHA
                                                        Versus
                                      MADHYA PRADESH PURVA KSHETRA VIDYUT VITRAN
                                               COMPANY LTD. AND OTHERS
                              Appearance:
                                   Shri Devendra Kumar Tripathi - Advocate for the appellant.
                                   Shri Aditya Khandekar - Advocate for the respondents/MPPKVV Com. Ltd.
    
    
    
                                                                       ORDER
    

    Per: Justice B. P. Sharma

    Since common questions of fact and law arise in this batch of writ
    appeals, they were heard analogously and are being decided by this common
    judgment. This order shall govern the disposal of all these appeals. For the

    SPONSORED

    sake of convenience, facts stated in Writ Appeal No.616/2024 are taken into
    consideration.

    2. The appeals under Section 2(1) of Madhya Pradesh Uchcha Nyayalaya
    (Khand Nyaypeeth Ko Appeal) Adhiniyam, 2005 arise out of orders passed
    by learned Single Judge whereby the writ petitions preferred by the
    respondents-employees were allowed and the charge-sheets issued against
    them were quashed on the ground that the officers issuing the charge-sheets
    were merely holding current charge of the higher posts and were, therefore,
    not competent to exercise disciplinary powers. Aggrieved by the said orders,
    the Electricity Distribution Companies have preferred the present appeals.

    3. The respondents are employees of the appellant – Electricity
    Distribution Companies. Allegations of misconduct having been levelled

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    Signed by: ASHISH KUMAR
    JAIN
    Signing time: 8/4/2026
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    3 WA-1449-2024
    against them, charge-sheets were issued proposing departmental enquiries
    under the applicable service regulations. The charge-sheets were issued by
    officers who, at the relevant time, were holding current charge of the posts of
    Chief Engineer, Additional Chief Engineer or other higher disciplinary
    authorities pursuant to orders issued under the Delegation of Powers of the
    Company. Instead of participating in the disciplinary proceedings, the
    respondents challenged the charge-sheets before learned Single Judge
    contending that the officers issuing the same were not substantively
    appointed to the higher posts and consequently lacked jurisdiction to initiate
    disciplinary proceedings. The Companies (appellant herein) opposed the writ
    petitions by asserting that the officers concerned had been entrusted with the
    current charge along with full powers of the higher offices under the
    Delegation of Powers and were therefore competent to discharge all
    functions attached to those posts, including disciplinary functions. Learned
    Single Judge, relying principally upon Full Bench decision of this Court in
    Girija Shankar Shukla vs. SDO, Harda, AIR 1973 MP 104 , accepted the
    contention of writ petitioners, held that officers merely holding current
    charge could not exercise statutory disciplinary powers and consequently
    quashed the charge-sheets. Hence, the present appeals.

    4. Learned counsel appearing for the appellants submitted that learned
    Single Judge failed to appreciate the true scope of Delegation of Powers and
    the settled legal position governing officers entrusted with current charge. It
    is argued that appellant – Companies are public utility undertakings where

    higher posts frequently remain vacant owing to transfers, promotions and

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    Signed by: ASHISH KUMAR
    JAIN
    Signing time: 8/4/2026
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    4 WA-1449-2024
    retirements and in order to ensure continuity of administration, current
    charge of such offices is entrusted to senior officers with full powers. Once
    such officers are authorized to discharge the functions of the higher office,
    no distinction can be drawn between administrative and disciplinary powers
    unless the governing rules expressly provide otherwise. It is further
    contended that issuance of a charge-sheet is merely the initiation of
    disciplinary proceedings and does not determine the rights of the employee.
    Consequently, interference at the stage of issuance of charge-sheet on a
    technical objection relating to competence was wholly unwarranted.

    5. In support of the aforesaid submissions, learned counsel appearing for
    the Companies relied upon Gopalji Khanna vs. Allahabad Bank and others,
    (1996) 3 SCC 538, wherein the Hon’ble Supreme Court recognized the
    competence of an officer placed in charge of office to discharge the functions
    attached thereto.
    Reliance is also placed upon the Full Bench judgment of the
    Madras High Court in A. Savariar vs. The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public
    Service Commission & Another, 2008 (4) CTC 753 , holding that an officer
    holding current charge is competent to discharge statutory functions unless a
    contrary intention appears from the governing statutory framework. The
    appellants further relied upon P.S. Dhanwal vs. State of Madhya Pradesh and
    other (Writ Appeal No.575 of 2020) , submitting that the Division Bench
    upheld the competence of an in-charge authority after examining the
    statutory framework, and Mahendra Pratap Singh vs. Madhya Pradesh
    Madhya Kshetra VidyutVitaran Company Ltd. and Others (Writ Appeal
    No.1261 of 2024), wherein this Court upheld disciplinary proceedings

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    JAIN
    Signing time: 8/4/2026
    10:50:02 AM
    5 WA-1449-2024
    initiated by an authority functioning under the applicable Delegation of
    Powers. It is further contended that learned Single Judge misapplied the Full
    Bench judgment in Girija Shankar Shukla (supra) , which arose in an entirely
    different statutory context where no delegation or authorization existed
    empowering the officer concerned to exercise the powers of the higher
    office. It is also submitted that the interpretation adopted by learned Single
    Judge would have serious administrative consequences by invalidating
    innumerable administrative and disciplinary actions taken by officers
    lawfully entrusted with current charge under the Delegation of Powers.

    6. Supporting the judgment under appeal, learned counsel for the
    respondents submitted that the controversy is one of jurisdiction and not of
    administrative convenience. According to the respondents, disciplinary
    powers flow from the applicable service rules and not from executive
    instructions. The Delegation of Powers is merely an administrative
    arrangement and cannot enlarge or substitute statutory authority. It is
    contended that learned Single Judge correctly distinguished between an
    officer functioning as In-charge of the Circle and one merely holding current
    charge of the post and rightly concluded that the latter could not exercise
    statutory disciplinary powers. Reliance is placed upon Girija Shankar Shukla
    (supra), which, according to the respondents, continues to govern the field
    and clearly lays down that statutory powers cannot ordinarily be exercised by
    an officer merely holding current charge.
    Reliance is also placed upon Kiran
    Narwariya v. State of M.P.
    , 2013 SCC OnLine MP 8654 , submitting that the
    competence of an officer holding current charge depends upon the governing

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    JAIN
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    6 WA-1449-2024
    statutory provisions. The respondents sought to distinguish Gopalji Khanna
    (supra), A. Savariar (supra), P.S. Dhanwal (supra) a n d Mahendra Pratap
    Singh (supra) on the ground that those decisions turned upon different
    statutory frameworks or peculiar facts and, therefore, did not dilute the ratio
    of Full Bench decision in Girija Shankar Shukla (supra) .

    7. It is further contended by learned counsel for the respondents that the
    service conditions of the employees are governed by the Madhya Pradesh
    Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1966 as adopted
    by the Electricity Companies together with the statutory service regulations
    applicable to the establishment. The disciplinary authority is specifically
    identified under the relevant rules. Such authority derives its jurisdiction
    from the statutory framework itself and not from administrative orders issued
    from time to time. Consequently, unless the statute or statutory rules
    expressly authorize an officer holding current charge to exercise disciplinary
    powers, the same cannot be assumed merely because such officer has been
    directed to discharge the current duties of the higher office.

    8. It is further submitted that learned Single Judge has recorded detailed
    and well-reasoned findings after examining the applicable Delegation of
    Powers, the statutory rules and the judicial precedents cited before the Court.
    The appellants have not demonstrated any patent error of law or perversity in
    the conclusions reached by learned Single Judge. Merely because another

    view is possible on interpretation of the Delegation of Powers does not
    justify interference in intra-Court appeals. The respondents contend that the
    judgment under appeal is fully consistent with the law laid down by the Full

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    Bench of this Court and does not call for any interference.

    9. We have bestowed our anxious consideration to the rival submissions
    and have carefully perused the material available on record.

    10. The issue is not whether the allegations against the respondents are
    sustainable, but the principal question that arises for consideration before this
    Court is whether an officer who has been entrusted with the current charge of
    a higher post under the Delegation of Powers framed by the Company is
    competent to initiate disciplinary proceedings and issue charge-sheets in
    respect of employees over whom such higher authority exercises disciplinary
    jurisdiction or whether such statutory powers remain confined only to the
    substantive holder of the office. Learned Single Judge proceeded primarily
    on the basis of Full Bench judgment in Girija Shankar Shukla (supra) .
    However, in our considered opinion, the said decision has to be understood
    in the factual and statutory context in which it was rendered. The Full Bench
    was dealing with a situation where there was no statutory or executive
    authorization empowering the officer holding current charge to exercise the
    powers attached to the higher office. The present cases stand on a different
    footing. The appellant Companies have framed a comprehensive Delegation
    of Powers under which officers entrusted with current charge are authorized
    to exercise the powers attached to the higher office. Such entrustment is
    neither casual nor informal but forms part of the administrative mechanism
    devised to ensure continuity of governance in the functioning of Electricity
    Distribution Companies.

    Signature Not Verified
    Signed by: ASHISH KUMAR
    JAIN
    Signing time: 8/4/2026
    10:50:02 AM

    8 WA-1449-2024

    11. The Delegation of power of M.P. Poorv Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran
    Company Ltd. dealing with this issue in Part-A, Section – IV, Sr. No. 1,
    reads as under:

    “PART – A SECTION – IV

    DISCIPLINARY ACTION

    S. No. Name of Authority Limit
    Powers

    a) Powers of suspension and minor
    penalty for all class III employees

    (i) E.E. b) Full powers for class IV
    employees

    (ii) Addl CE/SE (in Full powers for class III / IV
    charge of circle) employees under administrative
    Control

    a) Powers of Suspension and
    minor penalty for class I officer of

    (iii) Regional the rank of EE and equivalent
    1 Punishment of ED/CE/CE (Stores) b) Full powers in respect of
    establishment officers/officials up to the rank of
    A.E. and equivalent class II officer

    a) Full powers for class III & IV
    employees posted in Corporate
    office (Except JEs)

    b) Full powers for all class II

    (iv) Addl. Secy./HR officers and JEs posted in
    Head Corporate office with approval of
    MD

    a) Full powers for Suspension and
    minor penalty for class I officers

    (v) M.D. of the rank of E.D./C.E. and
    equivalent

    b) Full powers for all officers /
    officials below the rank of ED/CE
    and equivalent.

                                                              (vi) Management                   Full powers
                                                                 Committee
    
    

    12. The Electricity Companies have framed a comprehensive Delegation

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    JAIN
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    9 WA-1449-2024
    of Powers, under which officers entrusted with the current charge of higher
    offices have been specifically authorized to exercise the powers attached to
    such offices. The entrustment of current charge in the present cases was not
    an informal or casual administrative arrangement. Each officer was
    specifically directed by the competent authority to hold the current charge of
    the higher office together with the powers attached thereto. Such entrustment
    formed part of the established administrative mechanism governing the
    functioning of Electricity Distribution Companies.

    13. The Delegation of Powers framed by the Company does not carve out
    any such distinction. On the contrary, it entrusts the officers holding current
    charge with the powers of the higher office. Once such entrustment is made
    by the competent authority under the governing administrative framework,
    the officer functions as the head of that office for all practical purposes
    during the period he continues to hold charge. Unless the applicable statute
    expressly prohibits exercise of a particular function by such officer, the
    Court would not ordinarily read into the Delegation of Powers a restriction
    which the rule-making authority itself has not incorporated.

    14. It is well settled that the purpose behind entrusting current charge is to
    ensure continuity of administration. Public institutions cannot remain
    paralysed merely because substantive appointments to higher posts have not
    immediately been made. Particularly in organizations dealing with essential
    public services such as electricity distribution, the administrative machinery
    is expected to function uninterruptedly. Vacancies occurring on account of
    retirement, transfer or promotion cannot result in suspension of statutory or

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    JAIN
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    administrative functions. It is precisely for this reason that the competent
    authority entrusts current charge of higher offices to senior officers until
    regular appointments are made.

    15. If the interpretation adopted by learned Single Judge is accepted in its
    entirety, every administrative decision taken by an officer holding current
    charge including grant of sanctions, approvals, administrative orders,
    contractual decisions and disciplinary proceedings would become vulnerable
    to challenge solely on the ground that the officer was not the substantive
    incumbent of the post. Such an interpretation would render the entire
    mechanism of current charge appointments practically unworkable and defeat
    the very object for which such arrangements are made.

    16. In Gopalji Khanna (supra) , the Hon’ble Apex Court was examining
    the competence of an officer who had been placed in charge of the offices of
    Chairman and Managing Director. Rejecting the challenge to his
    competence, the Hon’ble Supreme Court observed that the officer was
    discharging the functions of those offices and was therefore entitled to
    perform all duties attached thereto. The emphasis laid by the Hon’ble
    Supreme Court was not upon the substantive appointment of the officer but
    upon the authority conferred upon him to function as the incumbent of that
    office.
    Learned Single Judge distinguished Gopalji Khanna (supra) by
    observing that the present cases involve exercise of statutory powers. In our
    opinion, such distinction does not completely answer the ratio laid down by
    the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The Hon’ble Supreme Court itself recognized

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    that the officer functioning in charge of the office was competent to
    discharge the functions attached to that office. The judgment does not
    support the proposition that every statutory function automatically stands
    excluded merely because the officer is holding current charge.

    17. The Hon’ble Supreme Court has had the occasion to consider the
    question whether a person holding the current charge of a higher post
    competent to exercise the powers of the disciplinary authority is attached to
    that post. The issue stands authoritatively settled by holding that an officer
    entrusted with the current charge of a higher office is vested with all the
    executive powers, duties and functions attached to that office during the
    period of such entrustment. Consequently, any disciplinary action, including
    the imposition of penalty by such officer in the capacity of the disciplinary
    authority, is legally valid and cannot be faulted merely on the ground that the
    officer was holding only the current charge of the higher post. The Hon’ble
    Supreme Court in the case of Gopalji Khanna (supra) has held as under:

    “7. Shri Wadhwa while exercising the power of review was really
    discharging the functions of Chairman and Managing Director as he was
    then placed in charge of those of ices and was therefore entitled to
    perform all the duties and functions of those of ices. He did not exercise
    that power on the basis that itwas delegated to him. Therefore, the
    decisions in Barnard v. National Dock Labour Board [(1953) 1 All ER
    1113 : (1953) 2 WLR 995] , Krishna Kumar v. Divisional Asstt.
    Electrical Engineer [(1979) 4 SCC 289 : 1980 SCC (L&S) 1] and
    Marathwada University v. Seshrao Balwant Rao Chavan
    [(1989) 3 SCC
    132 : 1989 SCC (L&S) 436] , relied upon by the learned counsel in
    support of his contention that statutory power can be exercised by the
    named authority only and cannot be further delegated, require no further
    consideration.
    So also, Ramakant Shripad Sinai Advalpalkar v. Union of
    India
    [1991 Supp (2) SCC 733 : 1992 SCC (L&S) 115 : (1992) 19 ATC

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    12 WA-1449-2024
    85] and State of Haryana v. S.M. Sharma [1993 Supp (3) SCC 252 : 1993
    SCC (L&S) 1072 : (1993) 25 ATC 594] cited by the learned counsel have
    no relevance. The question which arose for consideration in those cases
    was whether an officer who substantively holds a lower post and is asked
    to discharge the duties of a higher post can be considered as promoted to
    that higher post. This Court held that entrustment of current duties charge
    of a higher post does not amount to promotion and in such cases the
    person continues to hold his substantive lower post and only discharges
    the duties of higher post essentially as a stopgap arrangement.

    8. It was next submitted that when a person is entrusted with charge
    of current duties of a higher post, he can exercise only those powers and
    perform those functions which are available to the person holding the
    higher post under executive orders and not those which are conferred by
    statutory provisions. In support of this submission the learned counsel
    relied upon the decision of this Court in Ajaib Singh v. State of Punjab
    [(1965) 2 SCR 845 : AIR 1965 SC 1619 : (1965) 2 Cri LJ 553] . In that
    case what had happened was that the Additional District Magistrate,
    Amritsar was invested with powers of a District Magistrate under Section
    10(2)
    of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 and was also put in charge
    of the of ice of the District Magistrate Amritsar, who was transferred. No
    order appointing him as a District Magistrate under Section 10(1) was
    passed. While in charge of the office of the District Magistrate, he passed
    an order of detention under the Defence of India Act and Rules, 1962.
    That order was challenged on the ground that as the Additional District
    Magistrate was not appointed as District Magistrate under Section 10(1)
    he did not have the power to pass a detention order and, therefore, the
    order passed by him was without any authority of law and liable to be set
    aside. This Court after considering the relevant provisions of the Defence
    of India Act
    and Rules, 1962 and the drastic nature of the power and the
    consequences following from it, observed that the power of detention
    could only be exercised by the State Government or an officer or
    authority to whom it was delegated and that the said power could be
    delegated to an officer or authority who was not lower in rank than the
    District Magistrate. It was then held that even though the Additional
    District Magistrate was exercising the powers of the District Magistrate
    on there being a vacancy in the of ice of the District Magistrate, he was
    still not the District Magistrate a s he was not appointed as such under
    Section 10(1) of the Code and therefore, he had no power to pass the

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    13 WA-1449-2024
    order of detention. Even though invested with the powers of a District
    Magistrate he did not become an officer of the rank of a District
    Magistrate. In this case we are not concerned with such a provision and
    therefore are not required to consider whether Executive Director of the
    Bank when entrusted with the charge of duties of the offices of Chairman
    and Managing Director became an officer of the rank of Chairman and
    Managing Director. Moreover the power of the employer to take
    disciplinary action against his employee including the power to review an
    order of penalty, has to be distinguished from the statutory power to
    detain a person. Therefore, on the basis of this decision it cannot be held
    that the Executive Director who was merely entrusted with the charge of
    duties of the offices of Chairman and Managing Director could not have
    exercised the power of reviewing the order of penalty passed by the
    disciplinary authority.”

    18. Support for this view is also available from the Full Bench judgment of
    the Madras High Court in A. Savariar (supra). The Full Bench, after an
    elaborate consideration of the earlier authorities including Gopalji Khanna
    (supra), held that unless a contrary intention is expressed by the Government
    through statutory provisions or executive instructions, an officer holding the
    post in charge possesses the authority to discharge the statutory functions and
    responsibilities attached to that office. The Full Bench expressly overruled
    the contrary view adopted in earlier Division Bench decisions and
    authoritatively recognized the competence of officers holding current charge.
    The relevant para regarding the interpretation of the word “in-charge” is as
    follows:

    “7. Under such circumstances, unless contrary intention is expressed by
    the Government either by way of a statutory provision or by way of an
    executive instruction, a Government servant who holds the post as in-
    charge has got power to discharge the statutory functions and
    responsibilities of the said post.

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    14 WA-1449-2024

    8. Besides since already this issue has been covered by the judgment
    of the Honourable Apex Court reported in 1996 A.I.R. S.C. 1729 as
    referred above, we are of the opinion, the view of the Division reported in
    1997 Writ L.R. 33 (C. Baskaran v. The District Collector, Trichy)
    rendered in W.A.No.1054 of 1983 is not a correct law. Consequently, we
    hold that an officer-in-charge of a post has got power to discharge the
    powers and statutory functions of the said post.

    9. Consequently, as far as the point of reference is concerned, we hold
    that the Officer who is holding the post in-charge has got power to
    discharge the powers and statutory functions of the said post. Registry is
    directed to place the papers of the writ appeal before the appropriate
    Bench for disposal.”

    19. Learned Single Judge, while referring to A. Savariar (supra), appears
    to have emphasized only the observations regarding statutory framework
    without noticing the ultimate conclusion recorded by the Full Bench. The
    ratio emerging from A. Savariar (supra)is that the competence of an officer
    holding current charge has to be determined from the governing legal
    framework. In the present case, the Delegation of Powers expressly
    authorizes the officer to function as the incumbent of the higher office.
    Therefore, the principle laid down in A. Savariar (supra) lends support to the
    stand of the appellants rather than the respondents.

    20. Equally significant is the recent Division Bench judgment of this Court
    in Mahendra Pratap Singh (supra). The controversy therein also arose from
    the issuance of a charge-sheet by an officer holding current charge. After
    examining the original record, the Division Bench declined to interfere with
    the disciplinary proceedings and upheld the competence of the authority
    acting under the applicable Delegation of Powers. Although the facts of
    every case is different, the principle emerging from the said judgment is that

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    15 WA-1449-2024

    the validity of the charge-sheet has to be tested with reference to the
    authority conferred under the governing administrative and statutory
    framework and not merely with reference to the nomenclature “current
    charge”.

    21. The respondents have placed reliance upon Kiran Narwariya v. State
    of M.P.
    , 2013 SCC OnLine MP 8654 . In our opinion, the said judgment also
    does not carry the matter any further. In that case, learned Single Judge
    upheld the competence of the authority issuing the charge-sheet upon finding
    that the officer concerned was substantively holding an equivalent post and
    had additionally been entrusted with another charge. The judgment turned
    upon its own facts and cannot be read as laying down an inflexible
    proposition that every officer holding current charge is incompetent to
    initiate disciplinary proceedings.

    22. From a cumulative reading of all the aforesaid judgments, the legal
    position which emerges is that no absolute proposition of law can be laid
    down that an officer holding current charge is invariably incompetent to
    discharge statutory functions attached to the higher office. The issue
    necessarily depends upon the governing statutory provisions, the applicable
    service rules and the Delegation of Powers under which such officer has
    been entrusted with the higher office.

    23. Another important aspect which deserves consideration is the nature of
    the impugned proceedings. The charge-sheet merely initiates disciplinary
    action. At that stage, the guilt of the delinquent employee remains to be

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    JAIN
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    16 WA-1449-2024
    determined after a regular enquiry conducted in accordance with the
    principles of natural justice. No penalty is imposed by the mere issuance of a
    charge-sheet. Therefore, even otherwise, learned Single Judge ought to have
    exercised considerable restraint before interfering at the threshold,
    particularly when the challenge rested solely upon the technical objection
    relating to the competence of the authority issuing the charge-sheet.

    24. Accordingly, this Court pass the following order.

    (i) Writ Appeals preferred by Electricity Distribution Companies :-

    The writ appeals (WA No.616/2024, WA No.1317/2024, WA
    No.1449/2024) filed by the Electricity Distribution Companies succeed and
    are accordingly allowed. The impugned orders passed by learned Single
    Judge in respective petitions are set aside.

    (ii) Writ Appeal preferred by the Employees :-

    In view of the conclusions recorded hereinabove, the writ appeal (WA
    No.1724/2024) preferred by the employees challenging the validity of the
    disciplinary proceedings or raising identical issues regarding the competence
    of the officers holding current charge are devoid of merit and is accordingly
    dismissed.

    No order as to costs.

                                        (ANAND PATHAK)                                   (B. P. SHARMA)
                                            JUDGE                                             JUDGE
                              @shish^
    
    
    
    
    Signature Not Verified
    Signed by: ASHISH KUMAR
    JAIN
    Signing time: 8/4/2026
    10:50:02 AM
    



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