BRIJ MOHAN SINGH CHOPRA vs STATE OF PUNJAB

The Supreme Court ruled that under Rule 3 of the Punjab Civil Services (Premature Retirement) Rules, 1975, the appropriate authority has the right to retire an employee prematurely in public interest after providing three months' notice. The Court emphasized that while adverse entries in an employee's record can be considered, the authority must exercise this power judiciously, taking into account the overall service record and recent performance. The judgment clarified that premature retirement should not be based solely on stale entries, and good conduct in the last five years should be a significant factor in such decisions.