In Brief
The National Gandhi Museum, a registered society preserving relics and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, appointed Sudhir Sharma as Museum Assistant in 1996. In 2002, the museum cancelled his compensatory leave option. After Sharma allegedly assaulted a senior official in 2003, the museum charged him and imposed compulsory retirement in 2004 without obtaining statutory approval. The High Court quashed the dismissal and ordered reinstatement with back wages. The Supreme Court held that while the dismissal was procedurally illegal due to missing approval, reinstatement was not warranted given proved serious misconduct and a 17-year gap. Instead, it awarded compensation of ₹6.5 lakh, of which ₹4.43 lakh had already been paid.
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