JAGANNATHAN V B Vs. STATE BANK OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner in the above writ petition prays to issue a writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to implement staff circular No. PER/75/86 Personnel Department, State Bank of India, dated December 26, 1986 to pay the petitioner a sum of Rs. 45,000/- and sanction three advance annual increments.

(2.) IN the affidavit filed in support of the writ petition, the petitioner would submit that he joined Ponparappi Branch of State Bank of India as Clerk/typist on July 23, 1984; that on September 1, 1987 at about 11. 45 a. m. , when the petitioner was working in the counter, a group of dacoits entered into the Bank with sten gun with intent to loot the public money and started threatening the staff with dire consequences and after shooting down the Cashier Nandakumar, they attempted to enter into the safe, that when the petitioner prevented them from entering into the safe, the dacoits opened fire at him and caused serious bullet injuries on his right leg, but had a miraculous escape; that in spite of his injuries, he alarmed the neighbours, who thronged into the Bank and surrounded the dacoits and retrieved the valuables from them; that immediately thereafter, the petitioner became unconscious and regained consciousness only after three days; that the second respondent met the petitioner in the hospital and praised him for his courage and awarded with the cash award of Rs. 5,000/-; that the petitioner got discharged from the hospital on September 21, 1987; that the Bank reimbursed all the medical expenses and also sanctioned four months special leave for the petitioner's complete recovery coupled with the transfer to Tiruchirapalli town Branch to his willingness.

(3.) THE petitioner would further submit that as per staff Circular No. PER/75/86, dated December 26, 1986 certain benefits have to be conferred on the staff of the Bank on the contingency, which is binding both on the management of the Bank and its staff and as per scheme No. II, in case of injury/apprehension of dacoits, the employee is entitled to cash reward of Rs 50,000/-, consideration of promotion to next higher grade and in case of not fulfilling the eligibility criteria for promotion, to be paid three advance annual increments in the existing scale of pay, reimbursement of medical expenses for treatment of injury and special leave for treatment and convalescence.