In Brief
A road transport corporation dismissed a worker for obtaining employment through fabricated qualification documents. A Labour Court upheld the dismissal after finding the charge substantively proved and the punishment proportionate. The High Court set aside the dismissal on the sole ground that the employer had not obtained prior approval under Section 33(2)(b) of the Industrial Disputes Act before taking punitive action. The Supreme Court held that once the merits of dismissal have been adjudicated, mere absence of statutory approval cannot authorize interference with the punishment. The Court allowed the appeal and restored the Labour Court's order upholding the dismissal."
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