Karnataka High Court Partially Overturns Dismissal of Differently-Abled Employee, Awards Compensation
Court finds one charge proven but awards Rs. 4,00,000 compensation considering limited employment prospects due to disability
In a significant ruling, the Karnataka High Court has partially overturned the dismissal of a differently-abled employee, Sri G. Mahesh, who was previously terminated by the Management of M/s. Teknic Euchner Electronics Pvt. Ltd. The decision was made by Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde on a writ petition challenging the decision of the II Additional Labour Court, Bangalore, which had upheld Mahesh's dismissal on charges of lodging a false complaint and disrupting a domestic enquiry.
The case revolved around an incident on January 16, 2009, where Mahesh was accused of inflicting injury upon himself with a paperweight in the chamber of his supervisor, Mr. Kennedy, and subsequently filing a false complaint alleging assault. The Labour Court had originally found both charges against Mahesh to be substantiated, resulting in his dismissal.
Upon review, the High Court found that only the charge of filing a false complaint was proven. The court noted that while the police had filed a 'B' report indicating that Mahesh's complaint was false, there was insufficient evidence to support the charge of disrupting the domestic enquiry. Justice Hegde emphasized that the Labour Court had failed to conduct a thorough analysis of the evidence regarding this second charge.
Recognizing the challenges faced by Mahesh in securing employment due to his disability, the High Court awarded him Rs. 4,00,000 in compensation. Justice Hegde noted that Mahesh's status as a differently-abled individual should have been considered, as it significantly limits his employment opportunities post-dismissal. The compensation is to be paid by the respondent management within 45 days, with interest accruing thereafter at a rate of 6% per annum until payment is made.
The High Court's ruling underlines the importance of proportionate punishment and the consideration of individual circumstances, particularly for differently-abled persons facing employment hurdles.
Bottom Line:
Labour Law - Dismissal of a differently-abled employee on the ground of false complaint - Labour Court upheld dismissal, but High Court interfered partially, finding only one charge proved - Compensation awarded considering the employee's disability and limited employment opportunities.
Statutory provision(s): Article 226, Article 227 of the Constitution of India
