In Brief
Om Pal Singh, an officer at Muzaffarnagar Kshetriya Gramin Bank, was suspended in 2003 on various charges of misconduct and breach of regulations. He challenged the subsequent dismissal order. After multiple appeals and High Court interventions, his dismissal was set aside and replaced with a reduced penalty of reduction in pay for a fixed period. Singh then sought back-wages for the suspension period. The Supreme Court dismissed his appeal, holding that when misconduct charges remain proved and the penalty is merely reduced (not quashed), the employee is not entitled to back-wages, as awarding them would reward the wrongdoer and penalise the employer."
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