GUWAHATI, India, June 16 -- Gauhati High Court issued the following order on May 15:

Heard Mr. A. Ganguly, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Mr. K.K. Nandi, learned counsel appearing for the respondent.

2. The petitioner had joined the services of the respondent, i.e. the Bank of Maharashtra, a public sector bank, as a Computer Operator on 07.02.2011 and was initially posted at the Itanagar Branch of the bank under its Guwahati Zone. During the course of his service, the petitioner earned his promotions as an Officer and also complied with orders directing his transfer and posting to various locations throughout India. The petitioner had served the Itanagar Branch with effect from 21.02.2017 and the Naharlagun Branch of the bank where he joined on 28.03.2023. The petitioner was transferred to the Silchar Branch of the bank, and he was promoted as Deputy Manager on 29.01.2024 and again transferred to the Naharlagun Branch on 29.05.2024.

3. The period relevant for the purposes of adjudication of the present list starts from 08.08.2024, when the petitioner was transferred out of the Guwahati Zone to the Dehradun Zone of the bank. It is the case of the petitioner that he had initiated consultations with Specialist Doctors in the field of Orthopaedics on 05.08.2024, prior to the transfer order being issued, who had advised him to undergo several medical examinations during which central and left paracentral disc extrusion at the L4-L5 level was detected. The petitioner accordingly, could not join at Dehradun immediately, and on the insistence of the authorities, had joined on 27.08.2024. The petitioner has stated that he had suffered acute back pain on and from 30.08.2024 and had consulted the specialists at Dehradun. Later, on the verbal approval of leave for a week, the petitioner left for Guwahati on 01.09.2024 and reported back at Dehradun on 08.09.2024.

4. On 18.09.2024, the bank authority addressed a show cause notice to the petitioner regarding his alleged unauthorised absence between 31.08.2024 and 11.09.2024 and by another communication dated 17.09.2024, the petitioner was accused of a callous approach and inappropriate behaviour and asked to show cause as to why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him.

5. By an order dated 20.09.2024, the petitioner was posted as Branch Manager of the proposed Selaquin Branch, Dehradun, by modifying the earlier order through which he was posted at the Kishanganj Branch. The petitioner did not join the said Branch until 14.01.2025.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindiaHC/cases/display_pdf.php?filename=A9S7c5LDIsB6RXaCf816xwG3RLKaAj%2BTqWr6ZDQLXoucSbIVoMkCed2OtA%2ByQyxR&caseno=WP(C)/3735/2025&cCode=1&cino=GAHC010136352025&state_code=6&appFlag=)

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