Dhanbad, April 9: In a major relief to former East Singhbhum Civil Surgeon Dr. AK Lal, the Supreme Court has dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Jharkhand government challenging a High Court order that quashed his dismissal from service.
The apex court bench, comprising Justice Manoj Mishra and Justice Rajesh Bindal, rejected the SLP on Tuesday, upholding the decision of the Jharkhand High Court.
Dr. AK Lal, a 1990 batch medical officer, was dismissed by the Jharkhand government on March 31, 2022, during his tenure as Civil Surgeon of East Singhbhum. The state government had accused him of violating service conduct rules by allegedly contesting the Bihar Assembly elections from the Jhanjharpur seat in Madhubani district back in 2005.
Following his dismissal, Dr. Lal moved the Jharkhand High Court, which on April 1, 2023, ruled in his favor and struck down the dismissal order. The state government then approached the Supreme Court with a special leave petition, which has now been dismissed.
Dr. Lal was scheduled to retire in 2024 at the age of 65 but was removed from service two years prior to his retirement. Details regarding his reinstatement or compensation following the Supreme Court verdict are still awaited.
According to sources, Dr. Lal had submitted his resignation to the state government in 2005 to contest the election. However, due to a delay in response from the government, he proceeded to file his nomination. By the time his resignation was rejected, the withdrawal date had passed. Dr. Lal subsequently returned to Jharkhand and refrained from participating in any election activities.
Sources further claimed that the issue was revived 15 years later when a senior official of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Jamshedpur chapter, reportedly at odds with Dr. Lal, raised the matter in collaboration with MLA Saryu Roy in the Jharkhand Assembly, leading to his dismissal.
