WP/23324/2020 of Union of India Vs T.V.P. Latha on 31 December 2020

1. Union of lndia, Represented by the Secretary, tvinistry of Finance, Department ofRevenue, North Block, New Delhi - 1 10 001.Revenue, North Block, New Delhi - 1 10 001.

2. The Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, 1Oth Floor, C- Block, lncomeTax Towers, 10-2-3, A.C.Guards, It4asab Tank, Hyderabad - 500 004.Tank, Hyderabad - 500 004.- 500 004.Tax Towers, 10-2-3, A.C.Guards, It4asab Tank, Hyderabad - 500 004.Tank, Hyderabad - 500 004.- 500 004.

Tax Towers, 10-2-3, A.C.Guards, It4asab Tank, Hyderabad - 500 004.Tank, Hyderabad - 500 004.- 500 004.3. The Chief Commissioner of lncome f ax, ['2nd ]Floor, Aayakar Bhavan,Dabagardens, Visakhapatnam - 530020.Dabagardens, Visakhapatnam - 530020.

4. The Commissioner of income Tax (TDS), 3'd Floor, SVR Plaza, Door No. 40-6-15, Sidhartha Public School Road, lvloghalraipuram, Vijayawada - 520010.15, Sidhartha Public School Road, lvloghalraipuram, Vijayawada - 520010.

5. The Administrative Officer and Drawing and Disbursing Officer, Office of theCommissioner of lncome Tax (TDS), 3'' Floor, SVR Plaza, Door No. 40-6-15,Sidhartha Public School Road, Vijayawada [- ]520010.Commissioner of lncome Tax (TDS), 3'' Floor, SVR Plaza, Door No. 40-6-15,Sidhartha Public School Road, Vijayawada [- ]520010.

...PETITIONERS

AND

T.V.P. Latha, W/o. P. Subba Rao, aged about 54 [years, ]Group-A, [Occupation: ][Joint]Commissioner of lncome Tax, TDS Range, [Vijayawada, ][Wo. ][Door ][No. ][20-311-20112']Geetha Apartments, New Ayodhya Nagar, Vijayawada [- ][520 ]003

...RES,ONDENTS

Petition under Article 226 ol lhe Constitution of [lndia ][praying ][that ][in ][the]circumstances stated in the affidavit [filed ][therewith, ][the ][High Court may be ][pleased]to issue any writ or order or [direction ][more ][particularly ][in the ][nature ][of ][writ ][of]certiorari and to call for the records [in ]oA [20/573/2018 ][on ][the ][file ][of ][the ][Hon'ble]central Administrative Tribunal [cAT], [Hyderabad ][Bench, ][Hyderabad ][and ][to ][set]aside the impugned order dated [14.10.2019 ][in ][oA ][20157312018 ][on the file ][of ][the]Hon'ble Central Administrative [Tribunal ][CAT], [Hyderabad Bench, ][Hyderabad.]lA NO: ['l ]OF 2020

Petition under Section 151 CPC [praying ][that in the ][circumstances ][state][din]the affidavit filed in support of the [petition, ][the ][High Court may ][be ][pleased ][to]suspend the operation of the impugned [order dated ][1 ][4.'1 ][0.201 ][9 ][in OA ][20157312018]on the file of the Hon'ble Central Administrative [Tribunal ][CAT], [Hyderabad ][Bench,]Hyderabad.

Counsel for the Petitioners: SRI B. [NARASIMHA SARMA,]

S.C. FOR INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT

Counsel for the Respondents: [--]

The Court made the following: ORDER

THE HON'BLE [SRI ][JUSTICE ][A'RAJASHEKER ][REDDY]ANDTHE HONOURABLE [SiTiIUSTICC K' ][LAKSHMAN]

W itP[etition ][N][ .23324 ][of][ 2020]

ORERersAas ekeRed

This writ [petition ][is ][filed against the order dated ][14'10'2019 ][passed ][in]o.A.No.2ol573/20l8onthefileoftheCentralAdministrativeTribunal,Hyderabad Bench, [Hyderabad' ][wherein ][and ][whereby ][the ][Original]filed [by ][the ][respondent ][was ][allowed ][by ][setting ][aside ][the]Application recoveryproceedingsdated25.0l.20,lB,initiatedagainstherontheground that she was erroneously [granted increments ][in ][the ][year ][2006']2. Sri B. Narasimha [Sharma' ][learned Standing Counsel ][for ][the]petitioners, submits that any amount [erroneously granted ][to the ][employee]can be recovered [and ][admittedly, ][there ][is ][no ][dispute ][that ][the ][increments]were granted to the respondent [erroneously and recovery ][of ][the same after]issuance of show cause notice cannot [be ][faulted.]3. ln the present case, it is [to ][be ][seen that ][the ][increments were granted]to the respondent in the [year 2006 and ][she ][retired voluntarily from service]during [pendency ]of O.A., [and ][that ][a ][show cause ][notice ][was ][issued ][on]27.12.2017 for recovery of the [amount said ][to ][have been granted ][to ][the]respondent erroneously and [recovery ][proceedings ][were ][issued ][on]25.01 .2018, which was [impugned ][in ][the ][O.A., before ][the ][Tribunal. ][The]Tribunal, by following the [judgments ][of the ][Supreme ][Court ][in ][State of]Punjab and others v. Rafiq Masih [(White ][Washer) (Civil ][Appeal]No.11527 oI 2014 daled 18.12.2014); [A.K.Lakshmipathy ][v. ][Rai ][Saheb]Pannalal H. Lahoti Charitable [Trusti; ][Rekha Mukherjee v. ][Ashis ][Kumar]Dasii; and Nirmal Chandra [Bhattacharjee ][v. ][Union ][of ][lndiaiii, ][and ][also]by referring to the [judgments ]of the [Supreme ][Court ][in ][Union ][of ][lndia ][v.]Sadhana Khanna [(C.A.No.8208 ]ot [2001); ][M.V.Thimmaiah ][v' ][UPSC](C.A.No.5883-5991 of 2007 dated 13.12.2007, [allowed ][the ][O.A.' ][holding]

* " *.221;l !,It;i" *.221;l !,It;i!,It;i that the petitioners * " *.221;l !,It;i" *.221;l !,It;i!,It;igrantedincrements erroneousry to the respondent andthere is no fault on her part and thateven, there was a delay of 10 yearsfor taking steps for recovery of the amounts drawn by her and as such, theTribunal has rightry discussed and passed a reasoned order.4' ln view of the above, we are of the view that this is not a fit case toexercise our extraordinary equitabre jurisdiction and to interdict the orderpassed by the Tribunar and we do not find any merit in the writ petition.5. Accordingly, the Writ [petition ]is dismissed. No order as to costs.6. Miscellaneous petitions, if any, pending in this writ petition shail stand dismissed.

(2010)l scc 287(200s) 3 scc 427"' 1991 Supp(2) SCC 363

SD/-K.ONESIMASSISTANT REGISTRAR].\SECTION OFFICER

,TRUE COPY'

To,1. One CC to Sri B. Narasimha Sarma, S.C. for Income Tax Deptartment [OPUC]2. Two CD Copies,l\rlP&

HIGH COURTDATED:31 11212020

ORDERWP.No.23324 of 2020

DISMISSING THE WRIT PETITIONWITHOUT COSTSlt)

rt\E [STA]r4rcoIJ12 JAil [2021]az-L.t)FOFa-; ir.),',: