Dev Prakash Tewari vs U P Cooperative Institutaionl ...

The Supreme Court held that the continuation of disciplinary proceedings against an employee after retirement is permissible if initiated prior to retirement, as per the liberty granted by the High Court. The Court referenced the Uttar Pradesh Co-operative Employees Service Regulations, 1975, and emphasized that the employer's right to conduct a fresh inquiry is not extinguished by the employee's retirement. The Court upheld the High Court's order directing the completion of the disciplinary proceedings, affirming the legal principle that procedural lapses do not invalidate the right to inquiry if rectified appropriately.