Dr Malini back in FSL after apex court order

Bangalore: Former assistant director, Forensic Science Lab­­oratory, Madiwala, Dr S. Malini, who was in Febr­uary 2009 dismissed from service on grounds of “general unsuitability”, has been reinstated after the Supreme Court in August 2013 rejected the state’s special leave petition, which had challenged the Karna­t­aka High Court order on her reinstatement.

The apex court, quashing the SLP, observed that the incarcerated officer was not given an opportunity to explain or counter the charges against her and hence her dismissal was not in accordance with the service rules.

The government order on her reinstatement was issued in the first week of November following which Dr Malini joined the FSL as assistant director.

In February 2009, the government had sacked Dr Malini on allegations of submitting fake documents and giving wrong information about her date of birth and educational qualifications for appointment to the FSL. She was also accused of tampering with documents and brain mapping reports and leaking confidential reports to a section of media.

Following her dismissal, Dr Malini had approached the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal, which dismissed her plea to set aside the government order. She then approached the High Court and in her plea, she had pointed out that the government discharged her from service on grounds of “unsuitability” but did not issue her a notice or conducted a proper inquiry against her.