High Court Of Madhya Pradesh
P.V. Dixit, C.J. and G.P. Singh, J.
UMASHANKAR SHUKLA
Versus
ARTS AND COMMERCE COLLEGE BY B R ANAND
Decided On : Apr 29,1968
A master can refuse to take work from his servant and in that sense can suspend him during the pendancy of an enquiry against him even though there is no specific provision in the contract of service. But the servant remains entitled to his full remuneration inspite of suspension unless there is some contractual term or statutory provision which enables the master to suspend the servant without payment of salary. AIR 1959 SC 1342, AIR 1961 SC 276 and AIR 1964 SC 787 relied on. [Para 3
(2) University of Saugar Act, 1946 - Ss. 32 and 6 (6) - College Code - Cl. 9 (iv) - the Code has force of law - Clause 9 (iv) authorises suspension - but the employee is entitled to full pay during suspension - General Clauses Act, 1914 (C.P. and Berar) - S. 16.
The College Code is an Ordinance made by the Sagar University under the Sagar University Act, 1946. The Code having been made under statutory powers has the force of law. 1965 JLJ 513 relied on.
The interpretation of the provisions of the Code shall be made with the help of the C.P. and Berar General Clauses Act, 1914 and the provisions of the Madhya Pradesh General Clauses Act, 1957 has no application.
Clause 9 (iv) empowers the authorities to take disciplinary action against a principal but does not provide for suspension without pay Section 15 of the C.P. and Berar General Clauses Act, 1914, enacts only the rule of general law, but it does provide that the employee shall not get his salary during the suspension.
The authority may suspend a Principal but he is entitled to his full emoluments during the period of suspension. AIR 1964 SC 787 relied on. [Para 4
(3) General Clauses Act, 1957 (M.P.) - Ss. 2 and 31 - General Clauses Act. 1914 (C.P. and Berar) - applicability of the two Acts.
The Madhya Pradesh General Clauses Act, 1957 applies to the Madhya Pradesh Acts, Ordinance, etc., made after 1st November 1956 The State Acts and Ordinances, etc. made prior to this date are governed by the C.P. and Berar General Clauses Act, 1914. [Para 4
(4) General Clauses Act, 1914 (C.P. and Berar) - S. 15 - General Clauses Act, 1957 (M.P.) - S. 16 - General Clauses Act, 1897 - S. 16 - scope of the provision.
These sections (which are similar) statutorily enact the rule of general law that the authority entitled to appoint a servant is also competent to suspend and dismiss him but the sections have not the effect of providing that the servant who has been suspended will not be entitled to his pay. AIR 1964 SC 787 relied on. [Para 4
( 1. ) THE petitioner is the principal of the Article and Commerce College, Harda. By letter of 29 July 1967, the chairman of the governing body of the college asked the petitioner to explain four charges the details of which need rot be stated. After the petitioner gave the explanation, the Vice-chancellor. Saugar University, on 9 October 1967, sanctioned the suspension of the petitioner pending an enquiry by the governing body. The chairman of the governing-body on 11 October 1967 passed an order suspending the petitioner pending enquiry into the charges. This order recites that the petitioner will draw Rs. 300 per month, during the period of suspension. It may be mentioned that the petitioner as principal is employed on a salary of Rs. 600 per month. The order of 11 October 1967 passed by the chairman was approved by the governing body on 14 October 1967. The petitioner by this petition calls into question the charges framed against him as also the order suspending him and reducing his emoluments to half of his normal salary during the period of suspension.
( 2. ) THE main contention raised by Sri Dharmadhikari, the learned counsel for the petitioner, is that in the absence of any term in the service contract or statutory provision the petitioner cannot be suspended and deprived of his salary, Sri R. K. Pandey, the learned counsel for the respondents, concedes that there is no term in the service contract which deals with suspension. He, however, submits that the college code read along with Section 16 of the Madhya Pradesh General Clauses Act, 1957, confers statutory authority on the governing body to suspend the petitioner and to deprive him of his pay in whole or in part during the period of suspension,
( 3. ) THE law regarding the right of the master to suspend his servant and to deprive him of his remuneration is well-settled. A master can refuse to take work from his servant and in that sense can suspend him during the pendency of an enquiry against him even though there is no specific provision in the contract of service. But the servant remains entitled to his full remuneration in spite of suspension unless there is some contractual term or statutory provision which enables the master to suspend the servant without payment of salary-Hotel Imperial, New Delhi and Ors. v. Hotel Workers Union 1959-II L. L. J. 544 ; Cajee (T.) v. Jormanik Sing (V.) and Anr. 1961-I L. L. J. 652; and Karur (R. P.) v. Union of India and Ors. 1966-II L. L. J. 164.
( 4. ) WE now turn to the argument that the college code read along with Section 16 of the Madhya Pradesh General Clauses Act, 1957, confers power of suspension along with power to withhold pay in whole or in part during the period of suspension. The college, with which we are concerned, is affiliated to the Saugar University and is governed by the college code which is an Ordinance made by the Saugar University under the University of Saugar Act, 1946. The code having-been made under statutory powers has the force of law-P. R. Godh v. A. L. Pandey 1965 L. L. J. 513 (S. C. ). The only provision in the code to which our attention is drawn is Clause 9 (iv) which reads as follows ; No disciplinary action of any kind shall be taken against the principal of a college by its governing body without previous approval of the Vice-Chancellor. The aforesaid provision neither expressly nor impliedly provides for suspension without; pay. The effect of the provision is that the governing body of a college can with previous approval of the Vice-Chancellor take disciplinary action against a principal. It is also implicit on general principles that the governing body will have power to suspend the principal during an enquiry against him. But there is nothing in the language of the clause from which a power to withhold pay either wholly or partly during the period of suspension may be spelt out. Section 1. 1 of the Madhya Pradesh General Clauses Act, 1957, to which reference is made, is also
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