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Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Others v. T.T. Murali Babu

Civil Appeal · Neutral citation not assigned (Civil Appeal No. 1941 of 2014)Decided 10 Feb 2014
Civil Appeal No. 1941 of 2014
Justice H.L. Gokhale · Justice Dipak Misra

Background

A Junior Engineer stayed away from work for about nineteen months and did not respond to repeated notices. A disciplinary inquiry found the charges proved and he was dismissed, but the High Court later ordered reinstatement because this was his first such absence. He had waited four years after the reconsidered departmental appeal before bringing that challenge.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court allowed the employer's appeal and set aside the reinstatement orders. The High Court should have examined the substantial unexplained delay before granting discretionary relief. It also found that dismissal was not shockingly disproportionate to the long absence, inadequate explanation and failure to answer communications. Decisions concerning short absences or properly supported medical emergencies did not justify reducing this punishment merely because there was no previous incident.

Lesson Learnt

An employee should promptly communicate an inability to work and provide appropriate supporting material. Neither a clean earlier record nor a belated medical explanation automatically defeats dismissal for a prolonged, inadequately explained absence, and delaying a court challenge can independently prevent relief.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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