Summary: A.Shanthi, the widow of a former bus conductor, challenges the firing of her husband from the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation. The court supported the firing, citing repeated bad behavior.
A.Shanthi's husband, C.Aalagu, worked as a bus conductor with the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation. He was fired in 1993 for bad behavior, specifically for threatening and trying to attack a manager. This firing was challenged in court.
C.Aalagu was accused of going into a manager's office, using bad language, and trying to attack him with a punching machine. The management took this seriously, leading to his firing.
"He entered the room of the Manager and spoke to him in filthy language."
After the incident, an investigator looked into the matter. C.Aalagu was found guilty, and a second warning notice was issued. He didn't respond, which led to his firing.
C.Aalagu first challenged his firing in the Labour Court, which agreed with the decision. After he passed away, his widow, A.Shanthi, continued the fight, arguing that the punishment was too severe.
A.Shanthi's lawyer argued that C.Aalagu was targeted because of his involvement in trade union activities. They claimed the punishment was too harsh for the crime, pointing to similar cases where lighter penalties were given for similar bad behavior.
"The punishment imposed was disproportionate to the nature of the charges."
The court noted C.Aalagu's history of bad behavior, including using bad language on previous occasions. This history played a big role in the court's decision to support the firing.
Judges C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Vijayakumar rejected the appeal. They found the punishment appropriate given C.Aalagu's repeated bad behavior.
"The punishment was not disproportionate, considering the petitioner’s past conduct."
The court decided that C.Aalagu's firing was justified due to his history of bad behavior. Despite the appeal, the court maintained that the firing was the right course of action.
