RAGHUBIR SINGH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY (RETD.) Vs. INDIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY, HARYANA STATE BRANCH AND ANOTHER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner's challenge is to the deduction for the damages for alleged overstay in the official accommodation from out of the gratuity and leave encashment. An amount of Rs. 3,24,450/- was debited against the petitioner and a demand of Rs. 53,100/- was claimed as payable from the petitioner by the respondents. The learned counsel points out that the contention as regards the liability for continuance in the official accommodation came in a situation where on the eve of his completion of 58 years when he apprehended that he was going to be superannuated against the practice in the respondent-society of allowing for persons to be retained in service upto 60 years, he had approached this Court against termination of service. This Court had allowed for retention of his premises till the next date of hearing by an order dated 14.01.2003, but the case was getting adjourned from time to time till when on 17.05.2005, the writ petition had been disposed off as having become infructuous and the right of the respondent to recover the rent as per rules was specifically provided in the order.

(2.) The learned counsel for the petitioner would contend that the liability could have been, if at all, only to rent and there was no justification for levying a penalty upto 50 times in the manner contemplated by the State Government Rules. The counsel would contend that the Society had not adopted the Government Rules and in any event, the Society itself did not have any specific authority under any rule to levy a penalty upto 50 times the standard rent. If the Government Rules were to be applied, it ought to have even applied to the gratuity amount that was payable under the Government service which was Rs. 2,50,000/- against the provisions for gratuity only to Rs. 1 lakh in the service of the respondent.

(3.) As regards the issue of deduction for damages, it is a right which the employer can exercise against any liability from an employee which is not otherwise protected by law. As regards the gratuity, the law protects the amount from attachment or deduction in any way and, therefore, the entitlement of the petitioner for the gratuity could never have been defeated and set off against the alleged liability for damages for overstaying in the official premises. An amount of Rs. 1 lakh payable on account of gratuity was bound to have been paid on the date of his retirement, namely, on 31.10.2002 and the same be released to the petitioner with interest at 18% in the manner provided for by the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in R. Kapur v. Director of Inspection (Painting and Publication) Income Tax and another, 1994 6 SCC 589.