Case name: Uttarakhand Transport v. Sukhveer Singh
In this case, the Supreme Court has primarily ruled on the legal principle of Non-Supply of Inquiry Report to the delinquent employee in disciplinary proceedings and the consequences that follow when the delinquent employee has not been prejudiced by non-supply of inquiry report prior to the issuance of show cause notice.
Key observations by the Supreme Court are enumerated below:
- That Non-supply of Inquiry Report does not automatically results in Re-instatement of Delinquent Employee- When the employee is dismissed or removed from service and the inquiry is set aside because the report is not furnished to him, in some cases the non-furnishing of the report may have prejudiced him gravely while in other cases it may have made no difference to the ultimate punishment awarded to him. Hence to direct reinstatement of the employee with back-wages in all cases is to reduce the rules of justice to a mechanical ritual. The theory of reasonable opportunity and the principles of natural justice have been evolved to uphold the rule of law and to assist the individual to vindicate his just rights. They are not incantations to be invoked nor rites to be performed on all and sundry occasions. Whether in fact, prejudice has been caused to the employee or not on account of the denial to him of the report, has to be considered on the facts and circumstances of each case. Where, therefore, even after the furnishing of the report, no different consequence would have followed, it would be a perversion of justice to permit the employee to resume duty and to get all the consequential benefits.
- That acts of corruption/misappropriation cannot be condoned, even in cases where the amount involved is meagre.
The entire case can be accessed here.