01Facts
The petitioner, a retired Assistant Executive Engineer of the Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation, challenged the Corporation’s 3 September 2022 endorsement withholding his superannuation benefits pending consideration of materials relating to a trap incident
¶ 1 · p. 2He had retired on 30 June 2019
¶ 7 · p. 5In an earlier writ petition, the High Court set aside the departmental proceedings on 20 June 2024, referring to Rule 214(2)(b)(ii) of the Karnataka Civil Services Rules, 1957 (KCSR).
¶ 3 · p. 3Separately, the petitioner was convicted in a criminal case on 10 April 2026; the High Court subsequently suspended his sentence while his criminal appeal was pending.
¶ 5, 7 · pp. 4–502Issues
i.1. Whether the Corporation could continue withholding the petitioner’s superannuation benefits under the 3 September 2022 endorsement after the departmental proceedings underlying that endorsement had been set aside
¶ 6–7 · pp. 4–5ii.2. Whether the petitioner’s subsequent criminal conviction and pending appeal justified withholding those benefits in the circumstances of the case
¶ 5, 7–8 · pp. 4–603Law Applied
The Court considered Rule 214 of the KCSR, including Rule 214(2)(b)(ii), which addresses departmental or judicial proceedings in relation to pension.
¶ 3, 8 · pp. 3, 5–6It treated the earlier order setting aside the departmental proceedings as material to the validity of the endorsement, which had been issued in that context.
¶ 6, 9 · p. 4, 6The Court did not lay down a general rule on the effect of criminal proceedings on pensionary benefits; it expressly confined its decision to the peculiar facts of the case.
¶ 11 · p. 704Reasoning
The endorsement was made in anticipation of departmental proceedings concerning the trap incident, but those proceedings had subsequently been set aside.
¶ 1, 3, 6 · pp. 2–4The Court therefore held that the endorsement could not continue to operate as a basis for withholding benefits.
Although the petitioner was later convicted, that conviction occurred more than five years after his retirement, and his sentence had been suspended pending appeal.
¶ 7–8 · pp. 5–6In the absence of a procedure having been resorted to for withholding pension on account of the criminal proceedings, the Court found it inappropriate, on these facts, to permit indefinite withholding of benefits by reference to the pending appeal.
¶ 7 · p. 505Holding
The Court set aside the 3 September 2022 endorsement and directed the respondents to settle the petitioner’s superannuation benefits within two months of receiving a certified copy of the order.
¶ 9–10 · p. 7It clarified that the decision was confined to the peculiar facts and did not lay down law on the general issue.
¶ 11 · p. 7Original Court PDF
SRI SHEKARAvsTHE STATE OF KARNATAKA
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