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Termination Over Tea and Biscuits Is Grossly Disproportionate: Orders
In a resounding defense of , the has set aside the termination of a , ruling that dismissing a long-serving employee for allegedly consuming office tea and biscuits is "grossly disproportionate." The Division Bench, led by Chief Justice M. S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar, characterized the as "injustice brimming with insensitivity."
A "Bolt from the Blue" for a 17-Year Employee Ranjeet Kumar Himanshu had served as a with the in Bokaro for nearly 17 years. In , his long tenure was upended when he received a alleging he had taken "some material" from the office for personal use. Despite his response pleading for mercy and highlighting the financial strain his termination would place on his family—a wife, three daughters, and a younger sister—his services were terminated in .
The Vagueness Trap:
The High Court underscored a critical failure in the disciplinary process: the
was
"as vague as vagueness can be."
By failing to specify what material had been taken or provide sufficient particulars, the authorities effectively denied the appellant a fair chance to defend himself.
As the Bench noted:
"The issue of a vague amounts to no notice. Therefore, based upon a vague , the respondents cannot claim that the were duly complied with."
vs. : When Punishment Shocks the Conscience Even if the court accepted the premise that the employee had taken home leftover tea powder and biscuits, it found the of entirely inadequate to the alleged misconduct. The Court emphasized that such a move ignored the employee’s 17 years of "blemish-less" service and the human impact of the decision.
In its scathing critique of the administrative approach, the Court stated:
"Even if we assume that the appellant had taken home some tea and biscuits from the office [which we do not justify or approve], we still think that imposing the of dismissal upon the appellant, a lowly paid peon working on a contractual basis for the last 17 years, is grossly disproportionate and shocks the conscience. This is certainly not justice tempered with mercy, but injustice brimming with insensitivity."
Court's Directives for
Recognizing the hardship the appellant had faced while forced out of work for four years, the Court ordered his immediate
by
. Furthermore, the Bench granted 50% of the
, noting that the forfeiture of the remaining 50% was
"more than sufficient
for default."
The Court directed the Deputy Commissioner of Bokaro to personally ensure compliance, requiring the filing of by to confirm the and the disbursement of dues, respectively. This ruling serves as a vital reminder to administrative bodies that disciplinary actions must remain tethered to the principles of and basic human empathy.
