Departmental proceedings remain valid despite statutory penalty, as separate disciplinary action does not amount to double jeopardy under Article 20(2).

A statutory penalty under the Motor Vehicles Act does not extinguish an employee's separate liabilities or bar employer-initiated departmental proceedings for the same misconduct. Departmental action is treated as distinct from penal proceedings under the statute, so its initiation is not punishment for the same offence and does not attract Article 20(2) of the Constitution. The principle stated is that separate disciplinary proceedings may continue despite prior statutory penalty, and double jeopardy is not made out on that basis.

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Issues: Whether levy of penalty under the Motor Vehicles Act barred departmental proceedings for the same misconduct and amounted to double jeopardy under Article 20(2) of the Constitution of India.

Analysis: The penalty imposed under the Motor Vehicles Act was held not to wipe out the employee's other liabilities or prevent the employer from initiating disciplinary action. Departmental proceedings were treated as distinct from the statutory penalty proceedings, and their initiation was not regarded as punishment for the same offence so as to attract Article 20(2).

Conclusion: The departmental proceedings were not barred, and there was no violation of Article 20(2) of the Constitution of India.

Final Conclusion: The Full Bench view was upheld, the State's appeals succeeded, and the employee's appeal failed.

Ratio Decidendi: Imposition of a statutory penalty does not preclude separate departmental proceedings for misconduct, and such proceedings do not constitute double jeopardy under Article 20(2).

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