In Brief
Police constables recruited in 2005-06 were terminated in 2007. The High Court declared the termination illegal, but the State later reinstated them without further inquiry. The appellants sought full backwages from termination to reinstatement. The Supreme Court held that while wrongful termination entitled them to continuity of service, the State's prompt reinstatement (within three months of the final court order) justified an equitable settlement. Instead of backwages, the Court awarded fixed litigation expenses of ₹35,000 per constable as full and final settlement. The constables would be deemed in continuous service, except for pension progression benefits which would be calculated on actual duty served.
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