Balbir Singh v. Presiding Officer It Cum Labour Court Panipat and Anr

227o INoTHEoHIGHoCOURToOFoPUNJABoANDoHARYANAoATo CHANDIGARHo o o o o o o o o CWP-10276-2016o(O&M)o o o o o o o o Dateoofodecisiono:o18.07.2023o BALBIRoSINGHo(SINCEoDECEASED)o THROUGHoLRS.o o o o o o o -o o o …Petitionerso o Versuso o PRESIDINGoOFFICER,oINDUSTRIALoTRIBUNAL-CUM-o LABOURoCOURT,oPANIPAT,oDISTRICToPANIPATo ANDoANOTHERo o o o o o o o o o …Respondentso o CORAM:oo HON'BLEoMR.oJUSTICEoHARSHoBUNGERo Presento:o Mr.oVijayoDeepoRathee,oAdvocateo o o foroMr.oBalrajoSinghoRathee,oAdvocateo o o forotheopetitioners.o o o o Mr.oPraveenoChanderoGoyal,oAddl.oA.G.,oHaryana.o o HARSHoBUNGER,oJ.o(ORAL)o o Petitioner-Balbiro Singho (sinceo deceased)o hado filedo theo instanto writopetitionounderoArticleso226/227oofotheoConstitutionoofoIndia,oseekingo issuanceoofoaowritoinotheonatureoofocertiorarioforoquashing/modifyingotheo awardodatedo26.08.2015o(AnnexureoP-10)opassedobyotheolearnedoPresidingo Officer,oIndustrialoTribunal-cum-LabouroCourt,oPanipato(respondentoNo.1),o tootheoextentowherebyotheofullobackowagesofromotheodateoofodemandonoticeo wasonotograntedotoohim.o o o Aofurtherowritoinotheonatureoofomandamusohasobeenosoughtoforo seekingo directiono too respondento No.2o too payo theo fullo backo wageso too theo petitionerofromotheodateoofodemandonoticeoi.e.o30.05.2006o(AnnexureoP-2).o

2.o o Briefly,otheopetitioner-BalbiroSinghoisostatedotoohaveojoinedoasoao Conductoro ono 05.01.1990o ino theo Haryanao Stateo Transporto i.e.o Haryanao Roadwayso througho StaffoSelectiono Board,o Haryana.o Theopetitionero claimso thatoheoworkedofromo05.01.1990otoo28.09.1999oregularlyowithoutoanyobreako andowasodrawingosalaryo@oRs.4200/-operomonth.oAsoperotheopetitioner,ohiso workoandoconductohadoremainedogoodothroughoutoduringotheotenureoofohiso service.oItoisotheocaseoofotheopetitionerothatorespondentoNo.2o(TheoGeneralo Manager,o Haryanao Roadways,o Sonepat,o Districto Sonepat)o gaveo ao charge-sheeto datedo 08.06.1994o too him;o whereino ao domestico enquiryo waso held.o However,otheopetitioneroclaimedothatotheoEnquiryoOfficeroneverocalledohimo andoneitherotheostatementoofoanyowitnessowasorecordedoinotheopresenceoofotheo petitioner.oItoisoclaimedothatotheopetitionerowasonotograntedoanyoopportunityotoo cross-examineotheowitnessesoandoevenonooopportunityowasoaffordedotoohimotoo giveo hisodefenceo evidence.o Aso pero theo petitioner'socase,o respondento No.2o terminatedo hiso serviceso ono 28.09.1999o ono theo basiso ofo ao falseo reporto ofo Enquiryo Officer.o Evenotheo appealo filedobyo theopetitionerobeforeotheo Stateo TransportoOfficer,oHaryana,owasoalsoodismissedoono05.12.2005;owhereupon,o theo petitionero servedo ao demando noticeo datedo 16.05.2006o (Annexureo P-1),o seekingohisore-instatementowithocontinuityoofoserviceowithofullobackowages,o whichowasofollowedobyoanotherodemandonoticeodatedo30.05.2006o(Annexureo P-2);ohowever,otheosaidonoticeoisostatedotoohaveonotorepliedobyorespondento No.2.oo

3.o o Ito appearso thato thereafter,o theo disputeo ofo theo petitionero waso referredo too theo Labouro Court,o Panipat,o video ordero datedo 29.08.2012o (AnnexureoP-4).oTheopetitionerofiledotheoclaimopetitionobeforeotheolearnedo Labouro Court,o claimingo thato heo haso beeno illegallyo terminatedo fromo theo serviceso ando thus,o heo iso entitledo too beo re-instatedo ino serviceo witho allo consequentialobenefitsoalongwithocontinuityoofoserviceowithofullobackowages.o

4.o o Theoafore-saidoclaimopetitionoofotheopetitionerowasocontestedobyo respondento No.2-departmento byo filingo itso reply.o Theo learnedo Industrialo Tribunal-cum-LabouroCourt,oPanipat,oonotheobasisoofotheopleadingsoofotheo parties,oframedotheofollowingoissueso:-o "1.o Whethero theo terminationo ofo serviceso ofo workmano Sh.o BalbiroSinghoisolegaloandovalid.oIfoso,otoowhichorelief,otheo workmanoisoentitledo?oOPW.o

2.o Whetherotheoenquiryoasoconductedoagainstotheoworkmano wasonotofairoandoproper?oOPWo

3.o Whetherotheoclaimopetitionoisobadoforodelayoandolatchesoaso alleged?oOPMo

4.o Relief."o

5.o o Thereafter,o theo learnedo Labouro Courto passedo ano ordero datedo

14.08.2015o(AnnexureoP-9)oholdingothatotheoenquiryoproceedingsowereonoto conductedoinoaccordanceowitholawoandotheosameowereoheldotoobeoaonullity.o Subsequently,otheolearnedoLabouroCourt,opassedoanoawardodatedo26.08.2015o (AnnexureoP-10)oinofavouroofotheopetitioner,oholdingothatotheoterminationoofo servicesoofotheopetitionerowasonotojustifiedoandoaccordingly,oitowasodirectedo thatotheopetitionerobeore-instatedowithocontinuityoofoserviceowitho50%obacko wagesofromotheodateoofodemandonoticeoi.e.o30.05.2006o(AnnexureoP-2).o

6.o o Asoperotheopetitioner,oheowasoallowedotoojoinotheoserviceoinotheo monthoofoDecembero2015.oTheopetitionerohasofiledotheoinstantowritopetitionotoo theolimitedoextentowhereby,oonlyo50%obackowagesowereograntedotoohimorathero thanofullobackowages.o

7.o o Uponoissuanceoofonoticeoofomotionoinothisocase,otheoreplyoono behalfooforespondentoNo.2ohasobeenofiled,owhichoisoalreadyoonorecord.o

8.o o Learnedo counselo foro theo petitionero submitso thato sinceo theo terminationo ofo serviceso ofo theo petitionero waso heldo too beo bado ando illegal;o accordingly,otheolearnedoLabouroCourtoshouldohaveoallowedofullobackowageso ratherothanograntingo50%obackowages.oItoisosubmittedothatotheoburdenoofoproofo ofobeingogainfullyoemployedopostoterminationoofotheoservicesoofotheopetitionero wasoonotheorespondent-Management;oaccordingly,oheopraysothatotheoawardo datedo26.08.2015o(AnnexureoP-10)omayobeomodifiedobyoawardingofullobacko wagesotootheopetitioner.o

9.o o Pero contra,o learnedo counselo appearingo foro respondento No.2o submitsothatotheoawardoinoquestion,odoesonotocalloforoanyointerferenceoasotheo petitionero haso beeno rightlyo grantedo 50%o ofo theo backo wageso aso whileo appearingobeforeotheoLabouroCourt,otheopetitioner-workmanodidonotoaveroando proveothatoheowasoun-employedooronotogainfullyoemployedopostoterminationo ofohisoservices.oItoisosubmittedothatoalthough,oitohasobeenoheldobyotheoLabouro Courto thato theo serviceso ofo theo petitionero wereo terminatedo un-justifiably;o however,o ito doeso noto itselfo createo ao righto ofo re-instatemento witho fullo employmentobenefitsoandofullobackowages.oItoisosubmittedothatograntoofobacko wageso alwayso involveso ao discretiono ofo Courto ando initialo onuso iso upono employeeotoopleadoandoproveohisoclaimothatoheowasonotogainfullyoemployedo duringoidlenessoperiod,owhichowasonotodoneobyotheopetitioner;otherefore,oheo hasobeenorightlyograntedo50%oofotheobackowages.oAccordingly,oitoisoprayedo thatotheopresentopetitionomayobeodismissed.o

10.o o Iohaveoheardolearnedocounseloforotheopartiesoandohaveoperusedo theopaper-bookowithotheiroableoassistance.o

11.o o Theo limitedo issueo foro considerationo beforeo thiso Court,o ino theo peculiarofactsoandocircumstancesoofotheocase,oisoasotoowhetherotheopetitioner-BalbiroSingho(sinceodeceased)oisoentitledotootheofullobackowagesooronotooroaso toowhetheroheohasobeenorightlyoawardedo50%obackowagesobyotheoLabouro Court.ooo

12.o o InotheocaseoofoHaryanaoUrbanoDevelopmentoAuthorityov.oOmo Pal,o2007(2)oSCTo749,oitowasoheldothatodespiteoaowideodiscretionaryopowero conferredouponotheoIndustrialoCourtsounderoSectiono11Aoofotheo1947oAct,otheo reliefo ofo reinstatemento witho fullo back-wageso shouldo noto beo grantedo automaticallyoonlyobecauseoitowouldobeolawfulotoodooso.oGrantooforeliefowouldo dependoonotheo factosituationoobtainingoino eacho case.o Ito willodependoupono severalofactors;ooneoofowhichowouldobeoasotoowhetherotheorecruitmentowaso effectedoinotermsoofotheostatutoryoprovisionsooperatingoinotheofield,oifoany.o

13.o o Ino theo caseo ofo Managemento ofo Regionalo C.E.o P.H.E.D.ooooooooooooooooo Ranchiov.oTheiroWorkmenoRep.obyoDistrictoSecretary,o2018(4)oSCTo427,o Hon'bleoSupremeoCourtoheldoasounder:o "11.o Ino ouro consideredo opinion,o theo Courtso belowo completelyofailedotooseeothatotheobackowagesocouldonotobeo awardedo byo theo Courto aso ofo righto too theo workmano consequento upono settingo asideo ofo hiso dismissal/terminationoorder.oInootherowords,oaoworkmano hasonoorightotooclaimobackowagesofromohisoemployeroaso ofo righto onlyo becauseo theo Courto haso seto asideo hiso dismissalo ordero ino hiso favouro ando directedo hiso reinstatementoinoservice.o

12.o oItoisonecessaryoforotheoworkmanoinosuchocasesotoo pleadoandoproveowithotheoaidoofoevidenceothatoafterohiso dismissalo fromo theo service,o heo waso noto gainfullyo employedo anywhereo ando hado noo earningo too maintaino himselfoor/andohisofamily.oTheoemployeroisoalsooentitledo tooproveoitootherwiseoagainstotheoemployee,onamely,othato theo employeeo waso gainfullyo employedo duringo theo relevantoperiodoandohenceonotoentitledotooclaimoanyobacko GURPREET KAUR wages.oInitialoburdenois,ohowever,oonotheoemployee.oooo

13.o Inosomeocases,otheoCourtomayodeclineotooawardotheo backowagesoinoitsoentiretyowhereasoinosomeocases,oitomayo awardopartialodependingouponotheofactsoofoeachocaseobyo exercisingoitsojudicialodiscretionoinotheolightoofotheofactso ando evidence.o Theo questions,o howo theo backo wageso iso requiredotoobeodecided,owhatoareotheofactorsotoobeotakeno intooconsiderationoawardingobackowages,oonowhomotheo initialo burdeno lieso etc.o wereo elaboratelyo discussedo ino severalocasesobyothiso Courto whereino theo lawoono theseo questionsohasobeenosettled.oIndeed,oitoisonoolongeroreso integra.oTheseocasesoare,oM.P.oStateoElectricityoBoardov.o JarinaoBeeo(Smt.),o2003(3)oS.C.T.o625o:o(2003)o6oSCCo 141,o G.M.o Haryanao Roadwayso v.o Rudhano Singh,o 2005(3)o S.C.T.o 559o :o (2005)o 5o SCCo 591,o U.P.o Stateo Brasswareo Corporationo v.o Udayo Naraino Pandey,o 2006(1)oS.C.T.o77o:o(2006)o1oSCCo479,oJ.K.oSyntheticso Ltd.ov.oK.P.oAgrawalo&Anr.,o2007(2)oS.C.T.o79o:o(2007)o 2oSCCo433,oMetropolitanoTransportoCorporationov.oV.o Venkatesan,o2009(3)oS.C.T.o749o:o(2009)o9oSCCo601,o JagbiroSinghov.oHaryanaoStateoAgricultureoMarketingo Boardo&Anr.,o2009(3)oS.C.T.o790o:o(2009)o15oSCCo327)o ando Deepalio Gunduo Surwaseo v.o Krantio Junioro Adhyapako Mahavidyalayao (D.Ed.)o &o Ors.,o 2013(4)o S.C.T.o716o:o(2013)o10oSCCo324.oo

14.o Theo Courto is,o therefore,o requiredo too keepo ino considerationoseveralofactors,owhichoareosetooutoinotheo aforementionedocases,oandothenotoorecordoaofindingoasotoo whetheroitoisoaofitocaseoforoawardoofotheobackowagesoand,o ifoso,otoowhatoextent.oo

15.o Comingonowotootheofactsoofotheocaseoatohand,oweo findo thato neithero theo Labouro Courto ando noro theo Higho Courtokeptoinoconsiderationotheoaforesaidoprinciplesoofo law.o Similarly,o noo partyo too theo proceedingso eithero pleadedooroadducedoanyoevidenceotooproveotheomaterialo factsorequiredoforoawardoofotheobackowagesoenablingotheo Courtotooawardotheobackowages.oo

16.o Onotheootherohand,oweofindothatotheoLabouroCourto inooneolineosimplyodirectedotheoappellanto(employer)otoo payofullobackowagesoforoaolongoperiodotoo37oworkmeno whileodirectingotheiroreinstatementoinoservice.oo

17.o We,ohowever,ofindothatotheoHighoCourtoinoparao9oofo theoorderoplacedorelianceoonotheodecisionoofothisoCourtoino Deepalio Gunduo Surwaseo (supra)o foro holdingo thato theo questionoofobackowagesoisocoveredobyothisodecision.oIno ouro view,o theo Higho Courto erredo ino soo observing.o Ito shouldo haveo seeno thato ino theo caseo ofo Deepalio Gunduo Surwaseo (supra)o itself,o thiso Courto referredo decisions,o whichoweohaveomentionedoinoparao13oaboveoandothenoino parao38oofoDeepalioGunduoSurwase,othisoCourtoculledo outotheoratiooofoallotheocitedocases.oThereafter,othisoCourto inoDeepalioGunduoSurwase'ocaseograntedoreliefotootheo concernedoworkersoonotheofactsoinvolvedoinothatocase.oIno ouroopinion,otheoHighoCourtodidonotoapplyotheoratiooofo theodecisionoinoDeepalioGunduoSurwaseo(supra)otootheo factsoofothisocaseoproperlyoandoonlyoquotedooneoparaoofo theojudgmentoinoDeepalioGunduoSurwaseo(supra)owhicho containedogeneraloobservations.oThoseoobservationsohado toobeoreadoinojuxtapositionowithoparao38owhichoculledoouto theoratiooofoallotheocaseolawoonotheosubject.oo

18.o Weocannot,otherefore,oconcurowithosuchodirectiono ofotheo Courtsobelowo awardingofullobacko wageso too theo workmano which,o ino ouro opinion,o haso certainlyo causedo prejudiceotootheoappellanto(employer).oo

19.o However,o havingo regardo too theo factso ando circumstancesoofotheocase,oweoconsideroitojustoandopropero ando ino theo interesto ofo justiceo too awardo too theseo 37o workmeno50%oofotheototalobackowages…"o

14.o o Consideringo theo caseo ofo theo petitioner,o ino viewo ofo theo afore-statedolegaloposition,oitowouldobeoappositeotooreferotootheostatementoofotheo petitionerobeforeotheolearnedoLabouroCourt,owhichoreadsoasoundero:-o o o "oI,oBalbiroSingh,oS/ooSh.oJatioRam,oR/ooVillageo Balio Kutubpur,o Tehsilo Ganour,o Distt.o Sonepat,o doo herebyo solemnlyoaffirmoandodeclareoasoundero:-o

1.o o Thato theo deponento waso appointedo aso conductoro No.351o byo theo management/respondento ono 05.01.1990o aso sponsoredobyoStaffoSelectionoBoard,oHaryana.o

2.o o Thatotheoservicesoofotheodeponentowereoregularizedo fromoveryobeginning.oTheodeponentoworkedofromo05.01.1990o too28.09.1999oregularlyowithoutoanyobreakoandotheosalaryoofo theo deponento waso Rs.4200/-o pero month,o noo complainto regardingo theo worko ando conducto ofo theo deponento ando theo juniorotootheodeponentoareostilloworking.o

3.o o Thato theo management/respondento gaveo ao falseo charge-sheeto datedo 08.06.1994o too theo deponent,o thato waso dulyorepliedobyotheodeponent.o

4.o o Thato theo management/respondento conductedo ao domesticoinquiryoinocaseoofotheodeponentoonotheobasisoofofalseo charge-sheeto ando theo inquiryo officero nevero calledo theo deponento ino inquiryo proceedingso ando noto recordedo anyo statementoofoanyowitnessesotootheodeponentoandoalsoonotogaveo theochanceotoogiveodefenceoevidence.oo

5.o o Thato theo actiono ofo inquiryo officero waso totallyo illegal,o unjustifiedo ando againsto theo principalo ofo naturalo justice,o theo inquiryo conductedo byo theo inquiryo officero waso totallyounfairoandoun-proper.o

6.o o Thato ono theo basiso ofo falseo reporto ofo theo inquiryo officer,o theo management/respondento haveo terminatedo theo servicesoofotheodeponentoono28.09.1999owithoutoanyopersonalo

7.o o Thato theo deponento filedo ao departmentalo appealo beforeo theo Stateo Transporto Officer,o Haryana,o whicho waso dismissedoono05.12.2005.o

8.o o Thatotheoactionoofotheomanagement/respondentoino terminationoofotheoservicesoofotheodeponentoisototallyoillegal,o unjustifiedoandoultra-virus.o

9.o o Thato ao prioro registeredo A.D.o noticeo datedo

16.05.2006o waso servedo upono theo management/respondent,o butotillotodayotheomanagement/respondentohaveonotogivenoanyo replyoofothisoprioronoticeotillotoday."o

15.o o Aoperusaloofotheoaforesaidostatement/affidavitoofotheopetitionero madeobeforeotheoLabouroCourt,owouldomanifestothatonooavermentowasomadeo byotheopetitionerothatoheowasoun-employedoorowasonotogainfullyoemployedo postoterminationoofohisoservices.o

16.o o Itoisowellosettledothatoitoisonecessaryoforotheoworkmanotoopleado andoproveowithotheoaidoofoevidenceothatoafterohisodismissalofromotheoservice,o heowasonotogainfullyoemployedoanywhereoandohadonooearningotoomaintaino himselfoor/andohisofamily.oTheoemployeroisoalsooentitledotooproveoitootherwiseo againstotheoemployee,onamely,othatotheoemployeeowasogainfullyoemployedo duringotheorelevantoperiodoandohenceonotoentitledotooclaimoanyobackowages.o Initialoburdenois,ohowever,oonotheoemployee.ooo

17.o o Thus,oinotheofactsoandocircumstancesoofotheopresentocaseowhereo theopetitioner-BalbiroSingho(sinceodeceased)ohasonotoevenoclaimedobeforeotheo LabouroCourtothatoheohasoremainedoun-employedooronotogainfullyoemployedo posto terminationo ofo hiso services,o theo Labouro Courto waso justifiedo ino noto grantingofullobackowages.o

18.o o Inotheoend,olearnedocounseloforotheopetitionerohasomadeoaofainto attemptotooimpressouponothisoCourtothatoinotheoclaimopetition,otheopetitionero hado madeo ao claimo regardingo hiso un-employmento ino theo prayero clause;o however,oIoamonotoimpressedobyothisosubmission.oTheosaidoprayer-clauseoino theoclaimopetitionoreadsoasoundero:-o oo "Ito is,o therefore,o prayedo thato theo workmano mayo kindlyobeoreinstatedowithocontinuityoofoservicesoandofullo backowagesoforotheoenforcedoandounemployedoperiodowitho alloconsequentialobenefits,oforotheosakeoofonaturalojustice."o

19.o o Inomyoconsideredoview,otheoavermentomadeoinotheoafore-saido prayeroclauseocannotobeosaidotoobeoaostatementoclaimingothatotheopetitionero wasoun-employedooronotogainfullyoemployedopostoterminationoofohisoservices.o Beo thato aso ito may,o ino viewo ofo theo legalo positiono indicatedo aboveo ando ino peculiarofactsoandocircumstancesoofothisocase,onoointerferenceoisocalledoforoino theoAwardodatedo26.08.2015o(AnnexureoP-10).o

20.o o Inoviewoofotheoabove,oIodoonotofindoanyo meritoinotheoinstanto petitionoandotheosameois,oaccordingly,odismissed.oo

21.o o Allopendingoapplication/s,oifoany,oshallostandoclosed.o o o thJulyo18 ,o2023o o o o o o (HARSHoBUNGER)o gurpreeto o o o o o o o JUDGEo Whetherospeaking/reasoned:o o Yes/Noo Whetheroreportable:o o o Yes/No