Road Transport Corporations (RTCs) can appoint retired judges, including retired civil or retired district judges or former public prosecutors, as inquiry officers in disciplinary proceedings, said the High Court of Karnataka.
“Merely because the word ‘authority’ is used in Regulation 23(2) of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Servants (Conduct & Discipline) Regulations, 1971, that would not mean that an ‘authority’ is none other than an officer in the RTC,” the court said.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order dismissing a batch of petitions filed by the employees of North East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC). The petitioners had questioned the appointment of retired civil and district judges and former public prosecutors as inquiry officers for the disciplinary enquires conducted against them and decision taken based on the outcome of such inquiry proceedings.
