ARUNDHATI ASHOK WALAVALKAR vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

The Supreme Court upheld the imposition of compulsory retirement on the appellant under Rule 5(1)(vii) of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1979, for repeated incidents of travelling without a ticket and misconduct as per Rule 3(iii) of the Maharashtra Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1979. The Court found that the appellant's behavior, including asserting that Magistrates need not have tickets, constituted grave misconduct unbecoming of a judicial officer. The appeal was dismissed, affirming the disciplinary authority's decision.