In Brief
A bus driver working as a badli (temporary) worker for the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation was terminated after a motor accident in 2003. He won reinstatement and back wages before the Labour Court, but the Corporation challenged this in the High Court. While that petition was pending, the Corporation appointed him afresh on a temporary/daily wage basis in 2007, along with 24 others. After 180 days, the Corporation regularized his appointment. When the High Court allowed the Corporation's earlier petition, the Corporation terminated him based on that order. The Supreme Court held that the fresh 2007 appointment was independent of the earlier dispute and once regularized, the employee acquired statutory rights that could not be terminated based on the High Court's decision on the original dispute. The Court reinstated him with full back wages."
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