Against ‘natural justice’: HC on one official suspending woman sarpanch twice
Updated: Nov 22nd, 2024
Hearing a petition by Savitaben Patel, suspended sarpanch of Godhra’s Jitpura village, the Gujarat High Court ruled that the suspension of the sarpanch over corruption charges twice by the same official ‘against natural justice’.
The sarpanch was suspended on September 21, 2022, after an FIR was filed on September 13, 2022, under Prevention of Corruption Act by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Godhra Police Station.
According to an oral order by the court, the suspension order on September 21 was passed by District Development Officer (DDO), which was challenged by the petitioner. However, it was rejected by the appellate authority by placing reliance on provision of section 59(1) of the Act, 1993, on April 21, 2023.
Justice Mauna Bhatt of high court observed that since both these orders were passed by the same authority i.e. by Arjunsinh B Rathod, IAS, it was a breach of principles of natural justice, deserving an interference of the court.
Therefore, the court quashed the order passed on April 21, 2023.
The court, without getting into merits of the appeal, directed the Additional Development Commissioner (ADC), Gandhinagar, to take appropriate decision in accordance with the law within two weeks.
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