Stating that an employee cannot be transferred without any justifiable reason, the Kerala High Court has set aside the transfer of Jaimon Joseph, the driver of a Fast Passenger bus, as part of what the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) termed as ‘disciplinary action’ for keeping a pair of bottles containing drinking water on the dashboard of the bus.
The transfer (from Kottayam to Thrissur) can thus only be treated as a colourable exercise of power, a Bench of Justice N. Nagaresh said and allowed a petition filed by Mr. Joseph. The court also directed KSRTC to permit him to continue working in the agency’s Ponkunnam unit.
