Fourteen years is a lifetime for some, an awfully long time for others. Ask an officer with a state government-owned corporation how long it actually is.

Justice Barin Ghosh of Calcutta High Court has expressed astonishment over the never-ending departmental inquiry involving an employee of a Calcutta-based corporation.

“What have you done all these 14 years? And, on what basis has the petitioner been harassed?” Justice Barin Ghosh demanded of the authorities, while hearing the petition filed by S. Chowdhury, a junior officer with West Bengal Food Processing and Horticulture Corporation Limited.

“In 1990, the department framed a charge against me, alleging that I had misappropriated government funds by way of false travel allowances and had despatched truckloads of mangoes from the corporation’s godown to different agencies. But, to date, the inquiry has not been completed,” said Chowdhury.

The petitioner also said that in the meantime, the authorities had issued a letter informing him that he had been promoted to a higher post.

But, they added, the promotion would not come into effect as the inquiry was pending.

“I had moved Calcutta High Court earlier, but the authorities told me if I withdrew the said case, they would give effect to the promotion letter. They did not keep their assurance when I withdrew the case,” he went on.

Chowdhury also alleged that his office was sending his salary to Jalpaiguri, where a unit of the corporation is based, and from where he was having to collect it.

“The inquiry committee set up by the corporation did not speak to me. Neither did it ever call me for questioning over the past 14 years. I didn’t even get a chance to defend myself,” the plaintiff said. “After being harassed with false charges and denial of promotion for so many years, I have become mentally disturbed,” added the petitioner.

The advocate defending the corporation told the court that the promotion letter the petitioner had furnished before the court was a fake.

“The department had not issued any such letter to him,” the lawyer claimed.

But the judge verified the letter and found it to be a valid one and asked the corporation lawyer why the inquiry was dragging on. The advocate claimed that the person assigned for inquiry had been transferred. “But if the court asks us to complete the inquiry, we will do so immediately,” he added.

Justice Ghosh termed the matter “very unfortunate” and instructed the corporation lawyer to “settle the matter as soon as possible”.