Summary
Termination of the respondent’s purely contractual engagement as a conductor was upheld under the express term permitting termination without notice. The High Court had allowed his writ petition solely for breach of natural justice. Its reliance on a precedent involving removal for a charge of bribery was misplaced. On the contractual terms before it, the Supreme Court restored the employer’s termination and dismissed the employee’s writ petition.
Issues
- Whether termination of this contractual appointment without notice violated natural justice.
- Whether a precedent concerning removal on a bribery charge governed this engagement.
Held
- The respondent’s appointment was purely contractual, and its express terms permitted dispensing with his services without notice at any stage. The employer’s action could not be faulted on those terms. (¶¶ 2–3, 8–9, 11)
- Hari Ram Maurya was distinguishable because removal there was on a charge of bribery, though the employee was temporary. It did not justify the High Court’s natural-justice ruling in this case. (¶¶ 7, 10–11)
Result
Appeal allowed. High Court judgment and order set aside; respondent’s writ petition dismissed. No order as to costs.