In Brief
A workman was dismissed for obtaining employment through forged qualification documents. The Labour Court upheld the dismissal as valid and proportionate. The High Court quashed it solely on the ground that the employer had not obtained prior approval under Section 33(2)(b) of the Industrial Disputes Act, before dismissing. The Supreme Court reversed the High Court, holding that once an industrial adjudicator has validated a dismissal on merit, a court cannot set it aside on procedural grounds alone. The procedural requirement and substantive validity are separate issues requiring distinct examination.
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