Shimla, July 29 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh High Court Friday pulled up the state government for taking lenient action against a revenue official in a bribery case.

A division bench of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice V.K. Sharma has directed the divisional commissioner and the deputy commissioner of Mandi district to file replies for sending a patwari - a tehsil level official - accused of accepting a bribe of Rs.1,000, on compulsory retirement only.

"The deputy commissioner has to explain the reason for imposing a punishment of compulsory retirement when the charge of acceptance of bribe against the patwari was proved in a departmental inquiry," the bench said.

"The divisional commissioner has also to explain what was the basis for reversing the deputy commissioner's decision by reinstating the accused," it added.

The judges asked the officials why they did not act against the petitioner-cum-accused Dile Ram.

Ram had moved the high court against the government's decision.

He was sent on compulsorily retirement in December 2009 by the then deputy commissioner. Subsequently, the divisional commissioner ordered Ram's reinstatement on his plea.

The deputy commissioner then appealed to the government for sending the patwari on compulsory retirement. The government decided in favour of the deputy commissioner.