THE ALL INDIA SERVICES (DISCIPLINE AND APPEAL) RULES, 1969
8. Procedure for imposing major penalties.-
8(1) No order imposing any of the major penalties specified in rule 6 shall be made except after an inquiry is held as far as may be, in the manner provided in this rule and rule 10, or, provided by the Public Servants (Inquiries) Act 1850 (37 of 1850) where such inquiry is held under that Act.
8(2) Whenever the disciplinary authority is of the opinion that there are grounds for inquiring into the truth of any imputation of misconduct or mis-behaviour against a member of the Service, it may appoint under this rule or under the provisions of the Public Servants (Inquiries) Act 1850, as the case may be, an authority to inquire into the truth thereof.
8(3) Where a Board is appointed as the inquiring authority it shall consist of not less than two senior officers provided that at least one member of such a board shall be an officer of the Service to which the member of the Service belongs.
8(4) Where it is proposed to hold an inquiry against a member of the Service under this rule and/or rule 10, the disciplinary authority shall draw up or caused to be drawn up-
(i) the substance of the imputations of misconduct or mis-behaviour into definite and distinct articles of charge;
(ii) a statement of the imputations of misconduct or mis-behaviour in support of each article of charge, which shall contain-
(a) a statement of all relevant facts including any admission or confession made by the member of the Service;
(b) a list of documents by which, and a list of witness by whom the articles of charge are proposed to be sustained.
8(5) The disciplinary authority shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the member of the Service a copy of the articles of charge, the statement of the imputations of misconduct or mis-behaviour and a list of documents and witness by which each article of charge is proposed to be sustained and shall require the member of the Service to submit, within such time as may be specified, a written statement of his defence and to state whether he desires to be heard in person.
8(6)(a) On receipt of the written statement of defence the disciplinary authority may appoint, under sub-rule (2), an inquiring authority for the purpose of inquiring into such of the articles of charge as are not admitted, and, where all the articles of charge have been admitted by the member of the Service in his written statement of defence, the disciplinary authority shall record its finding on each charge and shall act in the manner laid down in rule 9.
8(6)(b) If no written statement of defence is submitted by the member of the Service, the disciplinary authority may, if it considers it necessary to do so, appoint, under sub-rule (2), an inquiring authority for the purpose.
8(6)(c) Where the disciplinary authority appoints an inquiring authority for holding an inquiry into such charge it may by an order, appoint a Government servant or a legal practitioner, to be known as the "Presenting Officer" to present on its behalf the case in support of the articles of charge.
8(7) The disciplinary authority shall forward to the inquiring authority-
(i) a copy of the articles of charge and the statement of imputations of misconduct of mis-behaviour;
(ii) a copy of the written statement of defence if any submitted by the member of the Service;
(iii) a copy of the [statements] of witness, if any, referred to in sub-rule (4)
(iv) evidence proving the delivery of the documents referred to in sub-rule 4 to the member of the Service; and
(v) a copy of the order appointing the "Presenting Officer".
8(8) The member of the Service shall be required to appear in person before the inquiring authority at any time prescribed after the expiry of ten working days from the date of receipt of the articles of charge and statement of imputations of misconduct or mis-behaviour, or within such further time, not exceeding ten days, as the inquiring authority may allow.
8(9)(a) The member of the Service may take the assistance of any other Government servant to present the case on his behalf but may not engage a legal practitioner for the purpose unless the Presenting Officer appointed by the disciplinary authority is a legal practitioner, or, the disciplinary authority, having regard to the circumstances of the case, so permits.
8(9)(b) A member of the Service may also take the assistance of a retired Government servant to present the case on his behalf, subject to such conditions as may be specified by the President from time to time by general or special order in this behalf.
NOTE: The member of the Service shall not take the assistance of any other Government servant who has two or more pending disciplinary cases on hand in which he has to give assistance.
8(10) If the member of the Service who has not admitted any of the articles of charge in his written statement of defence or has not submitted any written statement of defence appears before the inquiring authority, such authority shall ask him whet\her he is guilty or has any defence to make and if he pleads guilty to any of the article of charge, the inquiring authority shall record the please sign the record and obtain the signature of the member of the service thereon.
8(11) The inquiring authority shall return a finding of guilt in respect of [those] articles of charge to which the member of the Service pleads guilty.
8(12) The inquiring authority shall, if the member of the Service fails to appear within the specified time or refuses or omits to plead, require the Presenting Officer to produce the evidence by which he proposes to prove the articles of charge and shall adjourn the case to a later date, not exceeding thirty days, after recording an order that the member of the Service may, for the purpose of preparing his defence:
(i) inspect, within five days of the order or, within such further time not exceeding five days as the inquiring authority may allow, the document specified in the list referred to in sub-rule (4);
(ii) submit a list of witness to be examined on his behalf;
NOTE:- If the member of the Service applies orally or in writing for the supply of copies of the statement of witness mentioned in the list referred to in sub-rule (4), the inquiring authority shall furnish him with such copies as early as possible and in any case not later than three days before the commencement of the examination of the witness on behalf of the disciplinary authority.
(iii) give a notice within ten days of the order or, within such further time not exceeding ten days as the inquiring authority may allow, for the discovery or production of any documents which are in the possession of Government but not mentioned in the list referred to in sub-rule (4).
NOTE.- The member of the Service shall indicate the relevance of the documents required by him to be discovered or produced by the Government.
8(13) The inquiring authority shall, on receipt of the notice for the discovery or production of documents, forward the same or copies thereof to the authority in whose custody or possession the documents are kept with a requisition for the production of the document by such date as may be specified in such requisition:
Provided that the inquiring authority may, for reasons to be recorded by it in writing, refuse to requisition such of the documents as are, in its opinion, not relevant to the case.
8(14) On receipt of the requisition referred to in sub-rule (13), every authority having the custody or possession of the requisitioned documents shall produce the same before the inquiring authority:
Provided that if the authority having the custody or possession of the requisitioned documents is satisfied, for reasons to be recorded by it in writing, that the production of all or any of such documents would be against the public interest or security of the State, it shall inform the inquiring authority accordingly and the inquiring authority shall, on being so informed, communicate the information to the member of the Service and withdraw the requisition made by it for the production or discovery of such documents.
8(15) On the date fixed for the inquiry, the oral and documentary evidence by which the articles of charge are proposed to be proved shall be produced by, on behalf of, the disciplinary authority. The witness shall be examined by, or on behalf of, the Presenting Officer and may be cross-examined by, or on behalf of, the member of the Service. The Presenting Officer shall be entitled to re-examine the witnesses on any point, on which they have been cross-examined, but not on any new matter, without the leave of the inquiring authority. The inquiring authority may also put such questions to the witnesses as it thinks fit.
8(16) If it shall appear necessary before the close of the case on behalf of the disciplinary authority, the inquiring authority may, in its discretion, allow the Presenting Officer to produce evidence not included in the list given to the member of the Service or may itself call for new evidence or recall and re-examine any witness and, in such case, the member of the Service shall be entitled to have, if he demands it, a copy of the list of further evidence proposed to be produced and an adjournment of the inquiry for three clear days before the production of such new evidence, exclusive of the day of adjournment and the day to which the inquiry is adjourned. The inquiring authority shall give to the member of the Service an opportunity of inspecting such documents before they are taken on the record. The inquiring authority may also allow the member of the Service to produce new evidence, if it is of opinion that the production of such evidence is necessary in the interests of justice.
NOTE.- New evidence shall not be permitted or called for or any witness shall not be recalled to fill up any gap in the evidence. Such evidence may be called for only when there is an inherent lacuna or defect in the evidence which has been produced originally.
8(17) When the case for the disciplinary authority is closed, the member of the Service shall be required to state his defence, orally or in writing, as he may prefer. If the defence is made orally, it shall be recorded and the member of the Service shall be the required to sign the record. In either case, a copy of the statement of defence shall be given to the Presenting Officer, if any appointed.
8(18) The evidence on behalf of the member of the Service shall then be produced. The member of the Service may examine himself in his own behalf if he so prefers. The witness produced by the member of the Service shall then be examined and shall be liable to cross-examination, re-examination and examination by the inquiring authority according to the problems applicable to the witnesses for the disciplinary authority.
8(19) The inquiring authority may, after the member of the Service closes his case, and shall, if the member of the Service has not examined himself, generally question him on the circumstances appearing against him in the evidence for the purpose of enabling the member of the service to explain any circumstances appearing in the evidence against him.
8(20) The inquiring authority may, after the completion of the production of evidence, hear the Presenting Officer, if any, appointed, and the member of the Service or permit them to file written briefs of their respective cases, if they so desire.
8(21) If the member of the Service, to whom a copy of the articles of charge has been delivered, does not submit the written statement of defence on or before the date specified for the purpose or does not appear in person before the inquiring authority or otherwise fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of this rule, the inquiring authority may hold the inquiry ex parte.
8(22)(a) Where a State Government which has caused to be inquired into the articles of any charge and, having regard to its decision on any of the findings of any inquiring authority appointed by it is of the opinion that the penalties specified in clauses (vii) to (ix) of rule 6 should be imposed on the member of the Service, the State Government shall forward the records of the inquiry to the Central Government suggesting imposition of the penalties specified in clauses (vii) to (ix) of rule 6.
8(22)(b) The Central Government may act on the evidence on the record or may, if it is of the opinion that further examination of any of the witness is necessary in the interest of justice, recall the witness and examine, cross-examine and re-examine such witnesses. If the Central Government do not find justification for imposing one of the penalties specified in clauses (vii) to (ix) of rule 6 in a case referred to it by a State Government, then it shall refer it back to the State Government.
8(23) Whenever an inquiring authority, after having heard and recorded the whole or any part of the evidence in an inquiry, ceases to exercise jurisdiction therein and is succeeded by another inquiring authority which has, and which exercises, such jurisdiction, the inquiring authority so succeeding may act on the evidence so recorded by its predecessor, or partly recorded by its predecessor and partly recorded by itself:
Provided that, if the succeeding inquiring authority is of the opinion that further examination of any of the witnesses whose evidence has already been recorded is necessary in the interests of justice, it may recall, examine, cross-examine and re-examine any such witness as hereinbefore provided.
8(24)(i) After the conclusion of the inquiry, a report shall be prepared and it shall contain-
(a) the articles of charge and the statement of imputations of misconduct or misbehaviour;
(b) the defence of the member of the Service in respect of each article of charge;
(c) an assessment of the evidence in respect of each article of charge; and
(d) the findings on each article of charge and the reasons therefor.
Explanation.- If in the opinion of the inquiring authority the proceedings of the inquiry establish any article of charge different from the original articles of charge, it may record its findings on such article of charge.
Provided that the findings on such article of charge shall not be recorded unless the member of the Service has either admitted the facts on which such article of charge is based or has had a reasonable opportunity of defending himself against such article of charge.
8(24)(ii) The inquiring authority shall forward to the disciplinary authority the records of inquiry which shall include-
(a) the report prepared by it under clause (i);
(b) the written statement of defence, if any, submitted by the member of the Service;
(c) the oral and documentary evidence produced in the course of the inquiry;
(d) written briefs, if any, filed by the Presenting Officer or the member of the Service or both during the course of the inquiry; and
(e) the orders, if any, made by the disciplinary authority and the inquiring authority in regard to the inquiry.
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