Departmental adjudication and criminal proceedings independent :
Pending criminal matter is not impediment to proceed with the civil suit – State of Rajasthan v. Kalyan Sundaram – (1996) 86 Comp Cas 433 (SC). * Guru Granth Saheb Sthan Meerghat v. Ved Prakash (2013) 7 SCC 622.
Departmental adjudication can proceed even when criminal case is pending as both are independent of each other. – Maniklal Pokhraj Jain v. CC (Preventive), Bombay – 1986 (26) ELT 689 (Bom HC) – followed in Satyanarayan v. CCE – 1987 (29) ELT 450 (CEGAT). Same view in Sri Ambal Mills Ltd. v. ACCE – 1995 (76) ELT 517 (Mad HC).
Departmental Adjudication can continue even if a person is acquitted in criminal court – CCE v. K Ranganathan – 1995 (76) ELT 261 (Mad HC) also in K P Abdul Majeed v. CCE – (1995) 79 ELT 554 (Mad HC DB) * Rekhi Road Liners v. CC – (1999) 113 ELT 413 (Mad HC DB) * Radha Govind v. CC 2002(142) ELT 338 (CEGAT).
Even if accused is exonerated in departmental proceedings, criminal proceedings on same charges can continue – State (NCT of Delhi) v. Ajay Kumar Tyagi (2012) 9 SCC 685.