In Brief
A bus conductor was dismissed for misconduct after an Inspector found 17 passengers without tickets and alleged the conductor misbehaved when confronted. The Tribunal and High Court set aside the dismissal, citing lack of formal passenger statements and witness examination. The Supreme Court reversed this decision, holding that strict evidentiary rules of the Indian Evidence Act do not apply to domestic inquiries or labour proceedings. The Inspector's unchallenged evidence that no tickets were issued, though lacking formal documentation from passengers, was logically probative. Practical circumstances may justify the absence of formal statements. The Court restored the dismissal order.
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