In Brief
Shankar Lal, an employee of Hindustan Copper Limited who took voluntary retirement in 2002, challenged the employer's decision to compute his VRS benefits using a date of birth of 21 September 1945 instead of 21 September 1949 recorded in his service book. The High Court upheld the employer's position relying on a statutory Form B register. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that the employer cannot invoke estoppel to alter longstanding records at the end of an employee's career to reduce benefits. Once an employer acts consistently on the basis of a particular service record throughout employment, it cannot unilaterally change course for financial detriment without due process. The Court quashed the rejection order and directed payment of correct VRS benefits with interest."
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