Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Standing Counsel for the respondents, apart from perusing the record. Since the issue lies in a narrow compass, this Court proposes to dispose of the writ petition at the admission stage itself. 2. Briefly stated, the petitioner, Conductor Grade I, while working in Thiruvananthapuram Depot, was subjected to transfer through Exhibit P2. The petitioner supplies the background to the transfer contending that on 23.09.2014 the Volvo bus he was operating between Thiruvananthapuram and Bangalore, when reached Palakkad, two Inspectors boarded the bus and demanded the petitioner to open the luggage box for inspection. According to the petitioner, WPC 33041/14 2 since the key was with the driver, he secured it from the driver and provided it to the Inspectors, who could not find anything irregular in the luggage box. At any rate, this process of inspection resulted in twenty minutes delay in maintaining the bus service.
3. The learned counsel for the petitioner strenuously contends that the Inspectors felt insulted when the petitioner acted only in accordance with law, while providing the key of the luggage box to the Inspectors. Smarting under the incident, contends the learned counsel, the Inspectors ensured transfer of the petitioner to Pappanamcode Depot. The learned counsel has also submitted that the petitioner, belonging to the downtrodden community, reported the incident to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The learned counsel contends that the petitioner has already submitted Exhibit P3 representation to the first WPC 33041/14 3 respondent. The petitioner seeks expeditious disposal of the said representation.
In the facts and circumstances, having regard to the respective submissions of the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Standing Counsel, this Court, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the matter, disposes of the writ petition with a direction to the first respondent to consider Exhibit P3 representation of the petitioner in accordance with law, after affording an opportunity of personal hearing to the petitioner and pass appropriate orders thereon, as expeditiously as possible, at any rate, within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment.
Dama Seshadri Naidu, Judge tkv