Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
In a major ruling, justice Siddheshwar Thombre of the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on February 18, 2026, directed that the suspension interval of a involved worker be handled as a part of his ‘service period’ after the economic court docket had put aside the suspension order.
Observing that the punishment of reverting the petitioner to his primary pay was disproportionate to the alleged misconduct, the court docket modified the penalty and directed withholding of three future increments in a way that might not have an effect on his future wage development. However, the court docket upheld the restoration of home hire from the petitioner.
Case background
The petitioner, Subhash Ganpat Sonar, had served as a driver with the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation for 30 years. He was suspended for allegedly residing unauthorisedly in worker quarters from June 1, 2008, to July 16, 2008, with verbal permission from the deputy commissioner and medical officer.
Claiming that he was neither issued a chargesheet nor given a possibility for a listening to, Sonar approached the economic court docket in Jalgaon. On April 17, 2013, the court docket quashed the suspension order and directed his reinstatement together with full again wages.
During the departmental inquiry, solely the cost of unauthorised keep within the quarters for one-and-a-half months was proved, whereas different allegations of indiscipline and misconduct weren’t established. Despite this, his suspension interval was not counted as service, he was reverted to primary pay and directed to pay home hire , successfully imposing three penalties for a single misconduct. Sonar subsequently filed a petition via advocate Vitthalrao Salgare difficult the choice.
