B S RAJESHWARI Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) "I chose motherhood ; the State chose to terminate me", is the plea of the petitioner, lamenting that, the pendulum of her fate swung from the buoyance of hope to the fatigue of despair as she is terminated on the score that she opted to become a mother and had sought maternity leave.

(2.) Shorn of unnecessary details, facts material for consideration of the lis are as follows:

(3.) During the subsistence of the aforesaid period of contract, the petitioner by an application dated 11.06.2019, sought for maternity leave. On the application given by the petitioner, a notice was issued on 25.06.2019, by the second respondent directing her to report to duties forthwith, despite her application seeking maternity leave. When the petitioner did not report back to duties, despite the notice on 25.06.2019, referring to the same, an order dated 29.08.2019 is passed terminating the service of the petitioner / canceling the contract entered into with the petitioner appointing her as a Project Information Officer / MIS Expert on the score that the petitioner remained absent. It is this order that is called in question by the petitioner.