The Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the compulsory retirement of Om Parkash, a technical assistant at the Food Corporation of India (FCI), due to his involvement in a bribery case. Justice Sandeep Moudgil stated that the penalty was justified due to the serious nature of Parkash's duties concerning the acceptance of food grain consignments. The court emphasized that 'dereliction' of duty in this context is a grave misconduct warranting stringent action. Parkash had challenged the review order from October 20, 2023, arguing that the disciplinary action was based on unproven allegations and that he had an unblemished service record since his appointment in September 2014. However, the court found no procedural unfairness in the inquiry and dismissed his plea, stating that the findings were not perverse and that the penalty did not shock the court's conscience. The case stemmed from a complaint alleging illegal gratification for facilitating rice consignments, leading to a trap where money was recovered from a private individual instead of Parkash. The court upheld the disciplinary actions taken against him, reinforcing the importance of accountability in such sensitive roles.