IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK W.P.(C) No. 36567 of 2025 M/s. Sanofi India Limited, Mumbai …. Petitioner Mr. Gautam Mukherji, Senior Advocate -versus-

1. Presiding Officer, Labour Court, Bhubaneswar

2. Mr. Sailendra Narayan Lenka …. Opp. Parties Mr. Siba Narayan Biswal, Additional Standing Counsel (for O.P. No.1)

Mr. Sailendra Narayan Lenka, (In person - O.P. No.2)

C ORAM:

JUSTICE K.R. MOHAPATRA JUSTICE SAVITRI RATHO

ORDER

Order No. 22.12.2025

01. 1. This matter is taken up through hybrid mode.

2. Petitioner in this writ petition prays for a direction to allow the petition dated 19^th September, 2025 (Annexure-6) which has been filed with a prayer to appear through virtual mode before Presiding Officer, Labour Court, Bhubaneswar in I.D. Case No. 10 of 2023.

3. Mr. Sailendra Narayan Lenka, the Opposite Party No.2 appears in person and produces a self-attested copy of his Aadhaar Card in support of his identity, which is taken on record. 4. It is submitted by Mr. Mukherji, learned Senior Counsel that the Opposite Party No.2 was serving as a Scientific Sales Executive under the Petitioner-Company. He was terminated from service with effect from 27^th January, 2023. He has filed an application under Section 2-A(2) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (for brevity “the I.D. Act”) seeking for a direction for his reinstatement along with other consequential reliefs. The Petitioner-Company is situated at Mumbai and there is no other Branch Office of the Petitioner-Company through out India. The application filed by the Petitioner - Company to appear through lawyer was not considered as the Opposite Party No.2 had not engaged any lawyer. Thus, it is very difficult on the part of the Petitioner-Company to send its representative to Bhubaneswar on each date of posting of the I.D. Case to appear before learned Labour Court.

5. Thus, an application under the provisions of the Orissa High Court Video Conferencing for Court Rules, 2020 has been filed before the learned Labour Court, Bhubaneswar for consideration. The Opposite Party No.2 has also filed objection to the same. Although the application under Annexure-6 is pending since 19^th September, 2025, no order has yet been passed on the same. Thus, finding no other alternative, this writ petition has been filed for the aforesaid direction.

6. Mr. Lenka, the Opposite Party No.2 submits that he has not received notice in the writ petition. He, however, submits that an application filed by the Petitioner-Company to appear through virtual mode is pending before learned Labour Court and objection to the same has been filed by him.

7. It is also submitted by the parties that the I.D. Case is next posted to 9^th January, 2026.

8. Keeping in mind the nature of the order purposed to be passed in this writ petition, this Court feels that no notice in the writ petition need be issued more particularly when Opposite Party No.2 has appeared in person and made his submission.

9. Upon hearing Mr. Mukherji, learned Senior Counsel and Opposite Party No.2 in person, this Court finds that there is no legal impediment for learned Presiding Officer, Labour Court, Bhubaneswar to take a decision on the application dated 19^th September, 2025 (Annexure-6) filed by Petitioner-Company in I.D. Case No. 10 of 2023 to appear through virtual mode.

10. In view of the above, this Court disposes of the writ petition with a direction to learned Presiding Officer, Labour Court, Bhubaneswar to dispose of the application dated 19^th September, 2025 (Annexure-6) filed by the Petitioner-Company with a prayer to appear through virtual mode on the next date i.e. 9^th January, 2026, giving opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned. If for any reason, the hearing of the application cannot be completed on the said date, then the application shall be disposed of within a further period of 10 days thereafter but not beyond that.

11. The parties shall bear their own costs.

Urgent certified copy of this order be granted on proper application.

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