Labour & Service
Double Jeopardy Bars Enhanced Departmental Penalty After Conviction In Criminal Appeal: Delhi High Court
A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Madhu Jain held that once a disciplinary authority has imposed a penalty based on a conviction, it cannot reopen the same incident to impose a harsher punishment merely because the criminal appeal results in a reduced sentence, as this violates the principle against double jeopardy. Background...
WB DGP Appointment | CAT Directs State Govt To Resubmit Proposal; Orders UPSC To Convene Empanelment Meeting By Jan 28
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Principal Bench, has directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to immediately constitute an Empanelment Committee for the appointment of the West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP).It may be noted that West Bengal has not had a full-time DGP since December 2023. Acting DGP Rajeev Kumar is due to retire on 31 January. It also directed...
Unproved Witness Statement To Police Can't Be Used In Disciplinary Proceedings: Rajasthan High Court Quashes Govt Officer's Pension Forfeiture
The Rajasthan High Court has set aside the disciplinary action against a government officer stopping his 100% pension for life, which was solely based on statements of a person given to the police under Section 161 CrPC who was neither examined during the departmental enquiry nor before court. The bench of Justice Ashok Kumar Jain observed that a statement given under Section 161 CrPC, held...
Release On Probation In Criminal Case No Ground To Reduce Punishment In Departmental Proceedings : Supreme Court
Observing that release on probation does not wipe out the stigma of conviction, the Supreme Court set aside the Madras High Court's decision that reduced a workman's punishment merely because he was granted the benefit of probation in criminal proceedings. “…the High Court has fell into error by observing that the conviction of the workman herein shall not be a disqualification and...
Families Of Disabled Combat Personnel Deserve Liberal Approach In Compassionate Appointment Claims: Orissa High Court
“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to suffer violence on their behalf,” the Orissa High Court quoted George Orwell as it upheld the direction of a Single Bench, which ordered compassionate appointment as Head Constable in favour of the wife of a former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan who sustained grave injuries and disability in a...
Bombay High Court Rejects Plea To Restrain PSBs From Disqualifying Candidates On Past Misconduct, Upholds Autonomy In Recruitment Policy
The Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) has held that Public Sector Banks (PSBs) are autonomous entities entitled to prescribe their own eligibility and disqualification criteria and the mere absence of a uniform instruction from the Government of India does not render such conditions arbitrary.The Court observed that it cannot interfere with the recruitment choices of the Banks unless...
Railway Employee With Valid Privilege Pass Is 'Bonafide Passenger' Despite Missing Journey Entries: Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has held that mere non-endorsement of travel particulars on a valid privilege pass held by a railway employee does not, by itself, disentitle the employee from being treated as a bona fide passenger under Section 124A of the Railways Act, 1989. The Court observed that where the pass was valid on the date of travel and there was no evidence of misuse or excess travel...
Rajasthan High Court Dismisses Stale Pension Claim, Raps State For Losing Service Records
The Rajasthan High Court has held that even though loss or misplacement of service records by the State is a serious administrative failure, the same cannot by itself create a substantive right for an employee to get pension. At the same time, the bench of Justice Anand Sharma expressed strong disapproval of the State's plea in the matter that the service records of the petitioner were lost....
Recruitment Rules Can't Defeat Object Of Compassionate Appointment: Allahabad High Court
The Allahabad High Court has held that compassionate appointment is an exception to the general process of recruitment and undue reliance cannot be placed on the recruitment rules to defeat the object of compassionate appointment. The bench of Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Indrajeet Shukla held,“Suffice to note that the Recruitment Rules are in furtherance of the requirements...
Tribunal Can't Direct Reinstatement Without Considering Pending Criminal Matters: Delhi High Court
A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Madhu Jain held that even if dismissal is set aside in departmental proceedings, reinstatement and service benefits must be decided by the competent authority after considering the employee's subsequent criminal conviction on a different charge. Background Facts The respondent was a Constable in...
Compensatory Allowances Must Be Considered While Computing Overtime Wages Under Section 59 Factories Act : Supreme Court
The Supreme Court held that compensatory allowances such as House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance (TA), Clothing and Washing Allowance (CWA) and Small Family Allowance (SFA) form part of the “ordinary rate of wages” for the purpose of calculating overtime wages under Section 59(2) of the Factories Act, 1948.A Bench comprising Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Manmohan dismissed...