In Brief
Mihir Kumar Hazara Choudhury, an LIC assistant, issued seven premium receipts to policyholders without receiving payment, later admitting the misconduct but claiming it was due to work pressure and family stress, not deliberate fraud. Dismissed under LIC Staff Regulations, he sought industrial reference, which set aside his dismissal for lack of evidence. The High Court Division Bench reinstated the dismissal. The Supreme Court upheld dismissal, finding charges proven by his own admission and corroborating evidence, and that the departmental enquiry followed natural justice. The Court held that financial institution employees must maintain the highest integrity standards, and that dismissal was appropriate punishment for the serious misconduct.
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