The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Madurai Bench refuses to quash charge memo issued to retired prison official

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 01, 2007
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Madurai Bench refuses to quash charge memo issued to retired prison official

Staff Reporter

He had failed to prevent misappropriation of Rs. 10 lakh by an accountant

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has refused to quash the charge memo issued by the Home Secretary to a retired Superintendent of Prison Department for his failure to prevent misappropriation of Rs.10.97 lakh by an accountant in the Cuddalore central prison.

Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar said that the court could not interfere in such matters as the Government was empowered to initiate departmental proceedings against a retired employee and recover the pecuniary losses, if any, from the terminal benefits as enunciated in the Tamil Nadu Pension Rules.

The petitioner, P. Thangaraj, had retired on June 30, 2006, after serving as a Superintendent in the office of Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Tiruchi Range. Subsequently, a special audit found that T. Velraj, an accountant with the Cuddalore prison, had misappropriated Government funds through fabricated vouchers between June 2001 and July 2006.

Hence, the DIG initiated disciplinary proceedings against five persons, including two retired officials. The petitioner, who was in charge of auditing the accounts of all prisons under the range, was accused of not properly verifying the register, records, cash book and so on during his tenure.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail