M.D.,Balasaheb Desai Sahakari S.K.Ltd vs Kashinath Ganapati Kambale

M.D., BALASAHEB DESAI SAHAKARI S.K. LTD. ... APPELLANT

Versus

KASHINATH GANAPATI KAMBALE ... RESPONDENT

JUDGMENT

S.B. SINHA, J.

1. Leave granted.

2. Appellant herein is a Cooperative Society. It runs a sugar factory.

Respondent was appointed as a peon in July 1974. On or about 1.12.1983, a

show cause notice was issued seeking an explanation from him as regards

some alleged misconduct on his part. He was placed under suspension. A

charge sheet dated 29.12.1983 was issued against him, inter alia, in respect

of the following charges:

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"(i) Late attendance between 2.7.1983 to 20.12.1983 on 16 occasions.

(ii) Absence without leave between 6.10.1983 to 22.12.1983 for 20 days.

(iii) Leaving the place of work without permission and without seeking leave and attempt to obtain wages between 23rd to 30th November, 1983.

(iv) Leaving premises without permission and leave between 2.12.1983 to 20.12.1983 on 6 occasions.

(v) Signing the muster without remaining present and attempting to seek wages between 16.9.1983 to 16.11.1983 for 9 days.

(vi) Signing the muster for showing presence on 1.12.1983 on next day.

(vii) Disobeying order of Shri Mahadik regarding storage of water on 12.12.1983, refusing to deliver letter as directed by Shri Chavan clerk on 19.12.1983 not attending the office on 14.12.1983 though asked to attend for the purpose of audit."

3. A departmental proceeding was held in which he was found guilty of

the said charges. He was dismissed from services by the appellant by an

order dated 5.7.1984.

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Respondent filed an Application under Sections 78 of the Bombay

Industrial Relations Act, 1946 before the Labour Court, Sangli praying for

his reinstatement with continuity of service and full back wages, which was

registered as B.I.R. No. 16 of 1984.

4. A preliminary issue as regards validity or otherwise of the said

disciplinary proceeding, which appears to have been decided against the

respondent, had been framed.

Apart from the said preliminary issue, the Labour Court framed the

following issues:

"1. Whether the applicant proves that the opponent terminated him from service illegally and wrongfully?

2. Whether the enquiry conducted by the opponent against the applicant is legal proper and valid?

3. Whether the termination of the employment is a grossly disproportionate punishment?

4. Whether the applicant is entitled to reinstatement, continuity of service and full back wages?

5. Appellant examined some witnesses to establish that the respondent

had been running a footwear shop under the name and style of Amol 4

Footwear. The Labour Court did not place any reliance thereupon holding

that the appellant had not produced any licence on record to show that the

respondent was running the said shop.

The Labour Court, while holding that the respondent had been found

guilty of committing the misconduct, passed an award of reinstatement with

continuity of service with 50% back-wages on the premise that the

punishment of termination from service was disproportionate to the charges

of misconduct leveled against him.

6. An appeal preferred thereagainst by the appellant was dismissed. On

the question as to whether the respondent was gainfully employed or not,

the Appellate Authority while holding that the provisions of Shops and

Establishments Act were not applicable at Patan where the said footwear

shop was being run, opined that the Labour Court was correct in denying

50% of back wages on the premise that the respondent had been carrying on

the said business to meet his both ends. It was held:

"Moreover, the Respondent has produced reasonable evidence to show special circumstances which may justify denial of 50% of back wages. In these circumstances, I find no reason to allow full back wages to original petitioner in his appeal. Consequently, I hold that the labour court was correct in awarding 50% back wages."

5 7. A writ petition filed by the appellant was dismissed by a learned

single judge of the Bombay High Court stating:

".....The Labour Court, in exercise of its jurisdiction under this Section, has concluded that the punishment imposed was disproportionate. Both, the Labour Court and the Industrial Court were of the opinion that a lesser punishment of forfeiture of part of the back wages was the punishment which was adequate. Both the courts below have exercised their discretion fairly and judiciously.

9. In my view, therefore, there is no need to interfere with the orders of the Courts below."

8. By reason of the impugned judgment, an intra court appeal preferred

by the appellant has been dismissed.

Hence this Appeal by special leave.

9. A notice was issued by this Court only on the quantum of back

wages.

10. Mr. Shivaji M. Jadhav, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the

appellant would submit that the Industrial Court as also the High Court

committed a serious error in granting reinstatement with continuity of

service and half back wages in favour of the respondent by wrongly placing

the onus of proof on the appellant. Leaned counsel would contend that it is 6

now well settled that back wages ought not to be automatically granted and

keeping in view of the fact that the services of the respondent were

terminated in the year 1984 and the award of the labour court having been

rendered in the year 1991, the grant of 50% back wages was wholly

unjustified.

11. Mr. Vinay Navare, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the

respondent, on the other hand, would support the impugned judgments

contending that in terms of the provisions of the Industrial Employment

Standing Orders Act, 1946 only a fine could be imposed on the respondent

for his alleged unauthorized absence. Our attention was further drawn to

the fact that while passing the order of termination, records of past service

of the respondent had not been taken into consideration.

12. Charges against the respondent as noticed hereinbefore were serious

in nature. During the period between July 1983 and December 1983, he not

only absented himself from work without leave but also had been reporting

to the work place late and leaving factory premises without permission

early. He was also found guilty of indiscipline.

It is now well settled by a catena of decisions of this Court that

having regard to the principles contained in Section 106 of the Indian

Evidence Act the burden of proof to show that the workman was not 7

gainfully employed is not on the employer. In this case, the burden of proof

had wrongly been placed upon the appellant.

13. This Court in U.P. State Brassware Corpn. Ltd. vs. Uday Narain

Pandey [(2006) 1 SCC 479] held:

61. It is not in dispute that the Respondent did not raise any plea in his written statement that he was not gainfully employed during the said period. It is now well-settled by various decisions of this Court that although earlier this Court insisted that it was for the employer to raise the aforementioned plea but having regard to the provisions of Section 106 of the Indian Evidence Act or the provisions analogous thereto, such a plea should be raised by the workman.

62. In Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan v. S.C. Sharma [(2005) 2 SCC 363], this Court held:

(SCC p. 366, para 16)

"...When the question of determining the entitlement of a person to back wages is concerned, the employee has to show that he was not gainfully employed. The initial burden is on him. After and if he places materials in that regard, the employer can bring on record materials to rebut the claim. In the instant case, the respondent had neither pleaded nor placed any material in that regard."

{See also Allahabad Jal Sansthan vs. Daya Shankar Rai [(2005) 5 SCC 124], para 6}"

8 14. Furthermore, some materials had been brought on record to show that

the respondent was gainfully employed. The evidence adduced on behalf of

the appellant in that behalf, in our opinion, had not been considered on its

proper perspective. The Industrial Court while holding that no licence is

necessary to run a footwear shop in a small town committed a serious

illegality in arriving at his finding that the respondent must have been doing

so, to meet his both ends. It may be correct that a person cannot afford to

remain unemployed for a long time but for arriving at a conclusion that the

respondent was gainfully employed or not, a large number of factors are

required to be taken into consideration.

15. Indisputably, the labour court while exercising its jurisdiction under

Section 11A of the Industrial Disputes Act was entitled to consider as to

whether the punishment awarded is wholly disproportionate to the

delinquent employee or not but it is well known that the discretion vested in

it must be exercised in a judicious manner. The Labour Court ordinarily

should not interfere with the discretion exercised by the employer unless the

same is found to be inconsistent with the provisions of a statute or otherwise

perverse or unjust. It may be true that in terms of the Model Standing Order

framed under the Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act, 1946,

ordinarily fine for wrongful absence was to be imposed but in this regard

the number of occasions on which the workman had remained on 9

unauthorized absence was also required to be taken into consideration. In

this case, apart from remaining unauthorizedly absent without leave, the

respondent had been charged with indiscipline at the work place. He not

only was found guilty of remaining unauthorizedly absent but also guilty of

misbehaviour with his superiors, leaving place of work early without

permission and without leave, signing the muster for showing presence

although he was absent.

16. Forfeiture of 50% back wages, in our opinion, thus, was not an

adequate punishment. In a case of this nature, he should have been awarded

some punishment in lieu of the order of dismissal and furthermore the

question as to whether the respondent was entitled to the full back wages or

not should have been considered on the basis of the materials brought on

record by the parties.

17. We may notice that in U.P. SRTC vs. Mitthu Singh [(2006) 7 SCC

180], this Court has held:

"12. Since limited notice was issued with regard to payment of back wages, we do not enter into the larger question whether the action of terminating the services of the respondent was legal, proper and in consonance with law. But we are fully satisfied that in the facts and circumstances of the case, back wages should not have been awarded to the respondent workman. In several cases, this Court has held that payment of back wages is a 10

discretionary power which has to be exercised by a court/tribunal keeping in view the facts in their entirety and neither straitjacket formula can be evolved nor a rule of universal application can be laid down in such cases."

18. We are, therefore, of the opinion that in this case, no back-wages

should have been awarded in favour of the respondent.

We have been, however, informed by the Bar that a sum of

Rs.60,000/- has already been paid to the respondent. It is, therefore,

directed that any amount paid to the respondent, if any, shall not be

recovered.

19. For the aforementioned reasons, the impugned judgment of the High

Court is modified to the aforementioned extent. The appeal is allowed in

part. There shall, however, be no order as to costs.

.....................................J. [S.B. Sinha]

.....................................J. [Cyriac Joseph] New Delhi;

December 12, 2008 11