The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court has held that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) cannot dismiss an employee based solely on unverified media reports, ruling that such action bypasses the mandatory procedure under the Discipline and Appeal Rules.
Justice Ajit B. Kadethankar observed that the Corporation’s reliance on television and newspaper coverage to terminate a driver without conducting a departmental inquiry was unsustainable in law.
The Court dismissed a writ petition filed by the MSRTC’s Jalgaon division challenging the orders of the Labour Court and the Industrial Court, which had directed the reinstatement of driver Anil Pratap Nikam with 50% back wages.
The case arose from an accident on July 31, 2019 on the Amalner-Indore road involving a bus driven by Nikam. Following the incident, certain television channels and newspapers carried reports alleging that the driver was in an inebriated condition at the time.
The Corporation invoked Clause 6(1) of the Discipline and Appeal Rules and terminated Nikam’s services without holding a formal inquiry. The driver then filed a complaint before the Labour Court, Jalgaon.
