C O M M O N J U D G M E N T

1.Heard.

2.The petitioner is an engineering college, and the contesting 1^st respondents were employed as Assistant Professors in the said institution. According to the petitioner college, all three individuals left the college on 30.11.2016. Nearly three years later, on 09.09.2019, they submitted Form-I under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, seeking payment of gratuity. It is admitted that the petitioner did not issue any response to the said Form -I notice. Consequently, all three individuals submitted Form-N to the 2^nd respondent, initiating a formal claim for gratuity against the petitioner.

3.As there was a delay in submitting the Form-N applications, the contesting respondents filed Interim Applications Nos. 204/2019, 163/2019, and 104/2019 before the 2^nd respondent, seeking condonation of delay. In the affidavits filed in support of these applications, each of them stated that, ever since their relief from service, they had been making oral representations to the college for payment of gratuity. However, as there was no response, they were compelled to issue notices in Form-I, which also went unanswered. The 2^nd respondent thereafter issued notices