Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 5: High Court today directed Jammu and Kashmir State Cooperative Bank (JKSCB) to allow its Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mohammad Ashraf Bhat to perform duties of Officer on Special Duty till March 31 this year.
A Division Bench of the HC comprising Justice Hasnain Masoodi and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey modified the order of the court passed in October last year where in Bhat was permitted to perform his duties as MD/CEO of the Bank till further orders.
“The respondent bank in order to blunt the appellant’s case, appointed Bhat as ‘officer of special duty’ for a period of one-year. It was therefore, nobody’s case that before the writ court Bhat was reemployed as MD/CEO. The writ court without taking notice of this aspect, in terms of order October last year allowed him to perform duties as MD/CEO of the bank. The order is therefore beyond the pleadings and admitted position taken by parties,” the Division Bench said.
Appellants Muzaffar Ahmad Lala and others had filed a writ petition seeking ouster of Bhat from the post of MD/CEO/Officer on Special Duty and with a direction to CBI to enquire into the embazzelment made during the period held by Bhat.
The appellants are aggrieved of the decision taken by the Bank that Bhat has been allowed to continue as MD even after attaining the age of superannuation and even though by his omissions and commissions, had exposed the bank to immense loss.