"Madras High Court Reinstates Bus Conductor Fired Over ₹7 Excess Change; Orders Back Wages and Benefits"
The Madras High Court has overturned the termination of a bus conductor, A Ayyanar, who was fired by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) in 2015. The termination was based on allegations that Ayyanar failed to issue a ticket to a female passenger and had an excess of ₹7 in the collected fare. In a judgment delivered on June 23, Justice PB Balaji deemed the punishment "grossly disproportionate" to the offense and instructed the TNSTC to reinstate Ayyanar and provide him with back wages and accrued benefits.
The court criticized the TNSTC for imposing such a severe penalty for a minor charge, stating that there was no evidence of malice or intent in Ayyanar's actions. The judge further disapproved of the corporation referring to previous charges against Ayyanar in the termination proceedings. Ayyanar, who had been employed as a conductor since 2007, argued that he had issued tickets to all passengers on the day in question and that the woman passenger likely misplaced her ticket and wrongly blamed him.
The TNSTC argued that Ayyanar's actions caused financial loss to the corporation and claimed that it was justified in considering his past record. However, the court disagreed, noting that the alleged mistake was likely unintentional and did not warrant termination. Consequently, the court nullified the termination order and mandated Ayyanar's reinstatement within six weeks, along with the payment of all due benefits.
Advocate S Elambharathi represented Ayyanar, while Standing Counsel M Aswim appeared for the TNSTC.
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