RanchiDate: 19 November 2025
The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday granted major relief to the former District Superintendent of Education (DSE) of Lohardaga by setting aside the state government's dismissal order. The order was passed by the bench of Justice Deepak Roshan during the hearing of a petition filed by Farhana Khatun challenging her termination from service.
The court observed that the principles of natural justice were not followed in the departmental proceedings conducted against her. Due to this lapse, the dismissal order could not be sustained. However, the court allowed the department the liberty to conduct a fresh inquiry, if required.
During the hearing, advocate Prem Pujari Rai, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, informed the court that the petitioner was posted in Lohardaga during 2007-08. At that time, allegations of irregularities were levelled against her, leading to a departmental inquiry. In 2016, she was dismissed from service based solely on documentary evidence.
The petitioner argued that no witness was examined during the inquiry. Since the documents relied upon required verification, witness deposition was essential, as it would have provided the petitioner an opportunity for cross-examination. The department also admitted that no witness testimony was recorded in the case.
Several Supreme Court judgments were cited to highlight that dismissal based solely on documents, without witness examination, is unsustainable. Accepting these arguments, the High Court quashed the government's dismissal order.
0 Comments