Shimla, Sept. 27 -- Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that mere conviction of an employee is not an automatic ground for dismissal from service, setting aside the termination of an HRTC driver and directing his reinstatement with retirement benefits.
Justice Sandeep Sharma, while allowing a writ petition filed by Shiv Raj on September 15, held that the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) erred in removing him from service solely based on his conviction in a road accident case without conducting disciplinary proceedings or recording reasons for dispensing with inquiry under Rule 19 of the CCS (CCA) Rules.
The petitioner, a driver with 28 years of service, was convicted under Sections 279 and 304A IPC after a 2011 accident and re...