In Brief
A Class-IV court employee was dismissed after a departmental enquiry found him guilty of using inappropriate language against officials and sending representations to the Chief Minister without proper channels. The High Court upheld the dismissal. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal and reinstated the employee. The Court held that the High Court cannot reappreciate evidence in disciplinary proceedings, and can only examine whether the enquiry was conducted lawfully and with natural justice. Here, Charge No. 1 rested on a perverse finding—falsely attributing statements to the employee that did not appear in his representation. Charge No. 2 alone (sending representations without routing through proper channels) does not justify dismissal of a junior employee in financial hardship. The Court therefore quashed the dismissal and reinstated the employee with consequential benefits.
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