‘Don’t check retired bank manager’s certificate’

A division bench comprising Justice CT Selvam and Justice MV Muralidharan granted the injunction while passing interim orders on a writ petition from A Jayaraman of Sundapalayam in Coimbatore. The bench also issued notice to the authorities concerned, returnable in two weeks. 

Jayaraman had contended that he was appointed as a probationary officer in the State Bank of India under the quota reserved for ST candidates in 1980. He retired as the manager of the Ambattur Industrial Estate branch in February 2012 and the retirement benefits were settled. He was drawing pension since then. 

He also noted that during service, his employer, on January 13, 1998, had called upon various ST employees to produce another community certificate authenticated by the respective District Collectors. The ST Employees Welfare Association moved the Madras High Court, which, in July 2005, had quashed the circular. While so, by a letter on May 23 last, the DSP, SC/ST Vigilance Cell, asked him to appear before it on June 9 last. But though he had written a letter the following day seeking a copy of the communication issued on February 12, based on which the letter was issued, the DSP, without acceding to his request, issued another letter asking him to appear before him on June 12. 

Jayaraman, on raising the aspect as to under what authority the enquiry was to be commenced, in the absence of any adverse material to show on the contrary, he said such enquiry cannot be done so after a lapse of five years from the date of his retirement and that too after the High Court quashing a similar circular.