Quick Summary: Recently, Justice Juvvadi Sridevi reversed the firing of G. Rajendera Kumar, a Statistical Officer, because of mistakes in how his case was handled. The court stressed the need to follow fair procedures and basic justice.
G. Rajendera Kumar, who started working as a Statistician in 1987, was accused of giving different birthdates on various documents. This mix-up led to claims that he was trying to illegally extend his working years.
"The person involved gave different birthdates to different authorities at various times with bad intentions..."
The Director of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics sent a formal notice in July 2019, asking Kumar to provide original documents to confirm his birthdate. Despite being asked, Kumar did not provide his high school certificate or other original documents.
Kumar argued against the investigation process, saying he wasn't given a fair chance to defend himself. The court had earlier told him to submit his objections, which he said he was working on when the firing notice was issued too soon.
"Without waiting for his response, the authority in charge made the decision to fire him on 27.01.2020 in a rushed manner."
Justice Juvvadi Sridevi found that the firing went against basic fairness. The court noted that Kumar's response was treated as his final defense without giving him enough time to reply.
The court canceled the firing decision and ordered the processing of Kumar’s retirement benefits, recognizing that he had reached retirement age.
"The decision... goes against basic fairness and is therefore not acceptable."
Kumar will get his pension and other retirement benefits, offering relief after a long legal battle. This case shows how important it is to follow fair procedures in disciplinary actions.
Justice Juvvadi Sridevi's decision highlights that fairness in procedures must be maintained to ensure justice for everyone involved.
