Translate
Text Highlighter

Bookmark

PDF

Share

Report a problem
AMICUS AI
Citation Codes
Equivalent Citations
citation codes
Case Number
Attorney(S)
Judges
Acts
  • provisions of Rule 23-A of the Rajasthan Service Rules, 1951 (hereinafter referred
  • provisions of Section 25-F and 25-G of the Industrial Disputes Act
  • SECTION 25 F INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT
  • INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT
  • provisions of Rule 23-A of the Rules, as the said rule
  • provisions of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.
  • Section 10(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act
  • SECTION 10 INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT
  • provisions of rule 23-A of the Rules
  • rule 2 of the Rules
  • section 33 C
Are you a practicing lawyer?
Enhance your digital presence and reach by creating a Casemine profile.
Upload pleading to use the new AI search
Cites
Cited by
Citation Codes
Equivalent Citations
citation codes
Case Number
Attorney(S)
Judges
Acts
  • provisions of Rule 23-A of the Rajasthan Service Rules, 1951 (hereinafter referred
  • provisions of Section 25-F and 25-G of the Industrial Disputes Act
  • SECTION 25 F INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT
  • INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT
  • provisions of Rule 23-A of the Rules, as the said rule
  • provisions of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.
  • Section 10(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act
  • SECTION 10 INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT
  • provisions of rule 23-A of the Rules
  • rule 2 of the Rules
  • section 33 C
Smart Summary

Judgment Summary — Dwarka Prasad, J.

Factual and Procedural Background

The petitioner, Shanker Lal, was initially employed as a work-charged Nakedar in the Mining Department of the State of Rajasthan by order dated 11 October 1968 as a daily rated employee receiving Rs. 3 per day. As surplus to requirements, his services were terminated by the Mining Engineer, Jaipur on 21 November 1970. The State Government then referred his case to the General Administration Department and he was reappointed as a Chowkidar in the Mining Department by order dated 8 December 1970 (joining on 9 December 1970), again as a work-charged daily rated employee at Rs. 3 per day. He was transferred back to the post of work-charged Nakedar effective 1 January 1972 by order dated 6 January 1972 and continued at the same daily rate. A show cause notice for disciplinary action was issued on 22 November 1973; before filing a reply (he filed his reply on 1 December 1973), he was discharged from service with effect from 28 November 1973. The petitioner challenged the termination dated 28 November 1973 by way of this writ petition.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether the termination of the petitioner’s service contravened Rule 23-A of the Rajasthan Service Rules, 1951, or other applicable service rules governing temporary/work-charged employees.
  2. Whether the termination violated Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution on the ground that junior work-charged Nakedars were retained while the petitioner was dismissed.
  3. Whether the petitioner was a 'workman' and the Mining Department an 'industry' within the meaning of the Industrial Disputes Act, with the consequence that Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act applied and the procedural protections thereunder were required to be followed.
  4. Whether alleged contravention of Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act could be raised in writ proceedings, or whether the exclusive/appropriate remedy lay under the Industrial Disputes Act (i.e., by raising an industrial dispute and seeking adjudication under that Act).

Arguments of the Parties

Petitioner's Arguments

  • The petitioner contended that he was a temporary employee and that his termination was contrary to the provisions of Rule 23-A of the Rajasthan Service Rules, 1951.
  • He contended that termination violated Articles 14 and 16 because many work-charged Nakedars junior to him remained in service while he was discharged.
  • He further argued (during oral argument) that he was a 'workman' within the meaning of the Industrial Disputes Act, that the Mining Department was an 'industry', and that Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act applied; therefore the procedural requirements of Section 25-F were not complied with and the termination was invalid.

Respondent / State's Arguments

  • The State (learned Additional Government Advocate) submitted that the petitioner was a work-charged employee and that clause (g) of the Second proviso to rule 2 of the Rajasthan Service Rules excludes work-charged employees from the Rules; therefore Rule 23-A did not apply.
  • The State produced records showing dates of employment for other Nakedars (Chittarmal Loonkar: 15-4-69; Dhanraj: 23-4-69; Ram Bachhansingh: 1-1-70) and noted the petitioner’s fresh appointment as Chowkidar was on 8-12-70; thus the petitioner was junior and the principle of "last come first go" justified his termination.
  • The State argued that the contention under Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act was not raised in the writ petition, was raised belatedly (more than six years after the petition was filed) and that there was no material on record regarding the nature of duties to decide whether the petitioner was a 'workman' or the department an 'industry'.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
State of Rajasthan v. Ram Richpalsingh (Single Judge) (Civil Writ Petition No. 1712 of 1969) (decided 24 March 1971) Held that the function of a Nakedar is to collect royalty and therefore a Nakedar is not a 'workman'; Mining Department is not an 'industry'. The Single Judge's reasoning was cited to support the proposition that a Nakedar is not a 'workman' and the Mining Department is not an 'industry' for purposes of the Industrial Disputes Act.
Ram Richpalsingh v. State of Rajasthan (Division Bench) (Civil Special Appeal No. 343 of 1971) (decided 10 May 1971) Affirmed that collection of royalty is a regal function and an employee engaged in such collection is not a 'workman' under the Industrial Disputes Act. The Division Bench's affirmation was relied upon by the Court as supporting authority that employees whose duties are the collection of royalty are not 'workmen'.
State of Rajasthan v. Bhagwan Sahai (S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2090 of 1971) (decided 19-2-77) Observed that the question whether an employee is a 'workman' could not be decided in the absence of material and that jurisdictional objections were not raised before the Labour Court in that case. Used by the Court to illustrate that where material is absent, the question whether an employee is a 'workman' cannot be resolved in writ proceedings; similar absence of material in the present case precluded deciding the ID Act point.
Divisional Superintendent, Southern Railway, Madurai v. Sasidharan (Kerala High Court) Kerala High Court ultimately allowed a point relating to contravention of Sections 25-F/25-G of the Industrial Disputes Act to be raised in writ proceedings where the facts showed the employee was a 'workman' in an 'industry'. The present Court respectfully declined to follow Sasidharan's case, distinguishing it on the facts (here there was no established material to show the petitioner was a 'workman' or the department an 'industry').
Premier Automobiles Ltd. v. Kamlakar Santaram Wadke (Supreme Court) Held that where rights and obligations are created under the Industrial Disputes Act, the remedy provided under that Act (including reference under Section 10) is the exclusive remedy; quoted the principle from Deo v. Bridges regarding statutory remedies. The Court applied the exclusivity principle from Premier Automobiles to hold that enforcement of rights under Section 25-F (a right created by the Act) requires adjudication under the Industrial Disputes Act and cannot be pursued in writ proceedings.
Deo v. Bridges (English authority; dictum of Lord Tenterden C.J.) Dictum: "Where an Act creates an obligation and enforces the performance in a specified manner, we take it to be a general rule that performance cannot be enforced in any other manner." Quoted and relied upon in Premier Automobiles and by this Court as a foundational principle that statutory remedies are to be pursued in the statutory manner.
State of Bombay v. K.P. Krishnan (Supreme Court) (cited in Premier Automobiles extract) Recognised that the Government, on grounds of expediency, may refuse to make a reference under Section 10; Supreme Court held such discretion exists though it may be reviewable. Cited in the Premier Automobiles discussion (and by the present Court) to acknowledge that while the Government may refuse to refer disputes, the statutory reference mechanism remains the intended route for adjudication of disputes created by the Act.
Bombay Union of Journalists v. The State of Bombay (Supreme Court) (cited in Premier Automobiles extract) Similar to State of Bombay v. K.P. Krishnan on the Government's discretion in references under the Industrial Disputes Act. Referred to in the Premier Automobiles reasoning adopted by the present Court about the governmental role and Section 10 references.
Rotas Industries Ltd. v. Rotas Industries Staff Union (Supreme Court) Held that the Industrial Disputes Act is a comprehensive, self-contained code and rights created under it must be enforced through the Act's procedures. Followed by this Court to reinforce that enforcement of rights under the Industrial Disputes Act must be pursued under the Act, not by collateral writ proceedings.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court proceeded through a sequential analysis of the contentions raised:

  1. Applicability of Rule 23-A and the Rajasthan Service Rules: The Court observed that clause (g) of the Second proviso to rule 2 of the Rules expressly excludes work-charged employees from the application of the Rules. The petitioner was a work-charged daily rated employee (as shown by his appointment and transfer orders), and therefore the provisions of Rule 23-A did not apply to him. The Court noted that rules made in 1964 under the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution for work-charged employees applied only to certain departments (P.W.D (B & R), Gardens, Irrigation, Water Works and Ayurvedic departments) and not to the Mining Department. In the absence of any statutory provision or rule governing the petitioner’s conditions of service, the employer had the freedom to terminate his service at any time. The Court concluded the learned counsel for the petitioner failed to show the termination contravened any law or Rule.
  2. Alleged violation of Articles 14 and 16 (seniority): The Court considered the State's documentary record of other Nakedars' dates of employment (Chittarmal Loonkar: 15-4-69; Dhanraj: 23-4-69; Ram Bachhansingh: 1-1-70) and noted that the petitioner had a fresh appointment on 8-12-70. Given these dates, the Court concluded the petitioner was junior to the others; applying the principle of "last come first go," the petitioner could lawfully have been the first to go. Therefore no illegality under Articles 14 and 16 was established on this ground.
  3. Industrial Disputes Act — Section 25-F contention and whether petitioner was a 'workman': The Court first observed procedural objections: the contention that Section 25-F applies was not pleaded in the writ petition (filed in 1973) and was raised for the first time many years later during argument; such an after-the-lapse-of-time factual contention could not be entertained. Substantively, the Court found there was no material on record to show the nature of the duties performed by the petitioner (what a Nakedar's duties entailed in the particular instance), and in the absence of such material it was not possible to decide whether the petitioner was a 'workman' or whether the Mining Department was an 'industry'.
  4. Precedential guidance and exclusivity of remedy under the Industrial Disputes Act: The Court reviewed earlier decisions concerning the status of a Nakedar and the status of the Mining Department (Ram Richpalsingh single judge and Division Bench decisions) which held that a Nakedar's function of collecting royalty was a regal function and not that of a 'workman', and that the Mining Department was not an industry. The Court also referred to State of Rajasthan v. Bhagwan Sahai to note that without material the question cannot be decided in writ proceedings.
  5. On the proper forum for enforcing rights under Section 25-F, the Court relied on the Supreme Court authorities (Premier Automobiles Ltd. v. Wadke and Rotas Industries Ltd. v. Rotas Industries Staff Union) which establish that the Industrial Disputes Act constitutes a comprehensive, self-contained code and that rights created by the Act must ordinarily be enforced through the procedures provided by the Act. The Court quoted and adopted the fourfold principles set out in Premier Automobiles, including the principle that where an industrial dispute relates to enforcement of a right created under the Act, adjudication under the Act is the exclusive remedy. The Court rejected the contrary approach taken in the Kerala High Court's Sasidharan decision, stating that the present case lacked the factual foundation (i.e., that the employee was a 'workman' in an 'industry') that supported Sasidharan.
  6. Conclusion of analysis: Because the substantive question under Section 25-F could not be resolved on the record (no material as to duties) and because the proper remedy for enforcement of rights under Section 25-F is by raising an industrial dispute under the Industrial Disputes Act (and not by a writ in the present circumstances), the Court declined to entertain that contention in the writ petition.

Holding and Implications

Holding: The writ petition is DISMISSED.

Implications:

  • The immediate consequence is that the termination of the petitioner’s service with effect from 28 November 1973 is upheld and the writ petition challenging that termination fails.
  • The Court held that Rule 23-A of the Rajasthan Service Rules, 1951 did not apply to the petitioner because he was a work-charged employee excluded by rule 2 proviso; therefore no breach of that Rule was made out.
  • The allegation of discrimination under Articles 14 and 16 was rejected on the basis of the employment dates on record and the application of the "last come first go" principle.
  • The Court held that, in the absence of material demonstrating that the petitioner was a 'workman' or that the Mining Department was an 'industry', and in view of Supreme Court authorities establishing the exclusivity of the Industrial Disputes Act for rights created by it, alleged contraventions of Section 25-F could not be raised in the writ petition; the appropriate route is to raise an industrial dispute for adjudication under the Act.
  • No broader precedent altering established law was announced; the decision applies existing principles (including Premier Automobiles and Rotas Industries) to the facts and procedural posture of this case. The parties were directed to bear their own costs.

    Shanker Lal Mali v. State Of Rajasthan

    Dwarka Prasad, J.:— The petitioner Shanker Lal was employed as a work charged Nakedar in the Mining Department of the State of Rajasthan by the order dated October 11, 1968. He was a daily rated employee getting Rs. 3/- per day. As he became surplus to the requirement of the Mining Department, his services were terminated by the order of the Mining Engineer, Jaipur dated November 21, 1970. Later on, taking a sympathetic view, the State Government referred his case to the General Administration Department and then he was appointed afresh as a Chowkidar in the Mining Department by the order dated December 8, 1970, again as a work charged daily rated employee getting Rs. 3/- per day. Shankerlal joined his new duties on December 9, 1970. From the post of Chowkidar he was transferred to the post of work charged Nakedar with effect from January 1, 1972 by the order dated January 6, 1972 and he continued to receive the same emolument of Rs. 3/- per day, as a daily rated employee. A show cause notice for taking disciplinary action against him was given to Shankerlal on November 22, 1973, but before he filed his reply on December 1, 1973 he was discharged from service with effect from November 28, 1973.

    2. The petitioner has challenged the order of termination of his employment with effect from November 28, 1973 in this writ petition. The first submission of the learned counsel for the petitioner is that the petitioner was a temporary employee and the termination of his employment was contrary to the provisions of Rule 23-A of the Rajasthan Service Rules, 1951 (hereinafter referred to as “the Rules”) and as such the order of termination of the service of the petitioner deserves to be set aside. In this respect, it may be observed that clause (g) of the Second proviso to rule 2 of the Rules lays down that the said Rules would not be applicable to work charged employees. It cannot be denied that the petitioner was a work charged employee, as it is apparent from the order of his appointment and transfer on the post of Nakedar. He was a work charged daily rated employee getting Rs. 3/- perday plus usual allowances, as such the provisions of rule 23-A of the Rules were not applicable to the petitioner. In the year 1964, rules were made under the proviso to Art. 309 of the Constitution in respect of work charged employees, but they were not applicable to the petitioner, for such rules apply only to the work charged employees of the P.W.D (B & R), Gardens, Irrigation, Water Works and Ayurvedic departments, but they have no application to the work charged employees in the Mining Department. Thus, there being no provision in the Rules or any other law, governing the conditions of service of the petitioner, it was open to the employer to terminate his service at any time. Learned counsel was unable to show that the order of termination of the service of the petitioner dated November 28, 1973 was passed in contravention of any provision of law or Rules I, therefore, cannot accept the submission of the learned counsel that the service of the petitioner could have been terminated only in accordance with the provisions of rule 23-A of the Rules, as the said rule were not applicable to the petitioner. Another submission advanced by the learned counsel is that many work charged Nakedars, junior to him, were still continuing, while the service of the petitioner has been terminated and the order of termination of his service is invalid being in contravention of the provisions of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. Learned Additional Government Advocate has placed before me the relevant record for perusal and submitted that Chittarmal Loonkar, Nakedar was employed on 15-4-69, Dhanraj on 23-4-69 and Ram Bachhansingh on 1-1-70, while the petitioner was given a fresh appointment as a Chowkidar in the Mining Department on 8-12-70. Thus, it cannot be held that persons junior to the petitioner were continuing in service, while the petitioner's services have been terminated. Applying the principle of last come first go, the petitioner was the last person and he could have been made to go first and no illegality can be found in the termination of his service on this ground.

    3. Learned counsel then sought to raise another contention that the petitioner was a ‘workman’ within the meaning of the Industrial Disputes Act as the Mining department was an ‘industry’, the provisions of Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act were attracted in his case, which were not complied with while dispensing with the service of the petitioner and as such the order of termination of the service of the petitioner was invalid. In the first place I may observe that this submission has not been taken in the writ petition, which was filed in the year 1973 and a new submission involving questions of fact cannot be allowed to be advanced after the lapse of more than 6 years. Further there is no material on record to show as to what was the nature of the duties performed by the petitioner. Unless the nature of his employment is known and the nature of duties performed by him as a Nakedar is disclosed, this Court is not in a position to decide whether the petitioner was a ‘workman’ or not and whether the Mining department is an ‘industry’ or not. In the case of a Nakedar employed in the Mining department, a learned Single Judge of this Court in State of Rajasthan v. Ram Richpalsingh (S.B). Civil Writ Petition No. 1712 of 1969 decided on March 24, 1971), held that the function, of a Nakedar is to collect royalty from the persons to whom mining leases are granted and so he is not a ‘workman’. It was also held in that case that the Mining department is not an industry as it carries on activities in the nature of business or trade in granting leases and collecting royalty from the lease holders. The decision of the learned Single Judge was upheld on appeal by a Division Bench of this Court in Ram Richpalsingh v. State of Rajasthan (D.B). Civil Special Appeal No. 343 of 1971 decided on May 10, 1971), wherein the Division Bench held that the collection of royalty is a regal function of the State and an employee of the Mining department employed for the purpose of collection of royalty is not a ‘workman’ under the Industrial Disputes Act. Learned counsel drew my attention to my decision in the case of State of Rajasthan v. Bhagwan Sahai (S.B Civil Writ Petition No. 2090 of 1971 decided on 19 2-77), which also related to the case of a Nakedar employed in the Mining department of the State Government. However, in that case, it was not held by me that the employee was a ‘workman’ within the meaning of the Industrial Disputes Act or that the Mining department of the State was an ‘industry’. All that I observed in that case was that the objection about jurisdiction of the Labour Court was not raised before that court and no material was placed on the record of the Labour Court or before this Court in the writ petition for deciding the question as to whether the concerned employee was a ‘workman’ employed in an ‘industry’ and in the absence of such material, it was held that the contention could not be allowed to be raised for the first time in the writ petition. In this case, the contention has not even been raised in the writ petition, but was taken for the first time during the course of arguments. It is not possible to decide these questions without there being any material to show the nature of duties performed by the employee or the kind of work done by the Mining department of the State. In the absence of any material, this question cannot be allowed to be raised in this writ petition.

    4. Moreover, the question regarding the alleged violation of Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act could not be allowed to be raised in the writ proceedings but the petitioner should have raised an industrial dispute. Learned counsel for the petitioner in this context relied upon a decision of the Kerala High Court in the Divisional Superintendent, Southern Railway Madurai v. Sasidharan (1), in support of the submission that the objection relating to violation of Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act could be raised straightway in the jurisdiction, without raising any industrial dispute. In that case, the facts were not in dispute that the employee was a ‘workman’ employed in an ‘industry’. However, the question was raised that the writ petition should not be entertained as the employee did not raise a dispute under the Industrial Disputes Act. The Bench of the Kerala High Court in the first instance declined to go into the question as their Lordships were of the opinion that the contravention of the provisions of Section 25-F and 25-G of the Industrial Disputes Act could be raised only in an industrial dispute and be adjudicated upon by the special Tribunal-provided for under the provisions of that Act and no short-circuiting was permissible. However, probably upon a reconsideration of the matter, their Lordships followed an earlier decision of the Division Bench of that court and allowed the point to be raised on the ground that the remedy by way of proceedings under the Industrial Disputes Act was not an alternative remedy, as Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act empowers the State Government to make a reference, but it does not create a right in the employee. “With great respect to their Lordships of the Kerala High Court, I am unable to agree with the decision in Sasidharan's case (1). Probably the attention of their Lordships of the Kerala High Court was not drawn to the decision of their Lordships of the Supreme Court in the Premier Automobiles Ltd. v. Kamlakar Santaram Wadke (2), wherein a similar submission was made and it was held by their Lordships that the remedy provided by way of making a reference under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act is the exclusive remedy which should be availed of in respect of rights and obligations which were the creation of the Industrial Disputes Act itself. Their Lordships of the Supreme Court accepted and approved the undermentioned dictum of Lord Tenterden C.J in Deo v. Bridges (3):—

    “Where an Act creates an obligation and enforces the performance in a specified manner, we take it to be a general rule that performance cannot be enforced in any other manner.”

    5. Considering the objection that Section 10(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act did not confer any right on the employee and it did not provide a remedy in the eye of law, their Lordships of the Supreme Court observed as under in the Premier Automobiles' case (2):—

    “It is also true that it was not open to the workman concerned to approach the Labour Court or the Tribunal directly for adjudication of the dispute. It is further well established on the authorities of this Court that the Government under certain circumstances even on the ground of expediency (vide State of Bombay v. K.P Krishnan, (1961) SCR 227 : (AIR 1960 S.C 1223) and Bombay Union of Journalists v. The State of Bombay, (1964) 6 SCR 22 : AIR 1963 S.C 1617) can refuse to make a reference. If the refusal is not sustainable in law, appropriate directions can be issued by the High Court in exercise of its writ jurisdiction. But it does not follow from all this that the remedy provided under the Act is a misnomer. Reference of Industrial disputes for adjudication in exercise of the power of the Government under Section 10(1) is so common that it is difficult to call the remedy a misnomer or insufficient or inadequate for the purpose of enforcement of the right or liability created under the Act. The remedy suffers from some handicap but is well compensated on the making of the reference by the wide powers of the Labour Court or the Tribunal. The handicap leads only to this conclusion that for adjudication of an industrial dispute in connection with a right or obligation under the general or common law and not created under the Act, the remedy is not exclusive. It is alternative. But surely for the enforcement of a right or an obligation under the Act the remedy provided uno flatu i.e it is the exclusive remedy. The legislature in its wisdom did not think it fit and proper to provide a very easy and smooth remedy for enforcement of the rights and obligations created under the Act. Persons wishing the enjoyment of such rights and wanting its enforcement must rest content to secure the remedy provided by the Act The possibility that the Government may not ultimately refer an industrial dispute under section 10 on the ground of expediency is not a relevant consideration in this regard.”

    6. After considering several pronouncements of the English Courts as well as of the Supreme Court, their Lordships summed up their decision on the question relating to adjudiction of industrial disputes by laying down the undermentioned four principles:—

    “(1) If the dispute is not an industrial dispute, nor does it relate to enforcement of any other right under the Act the remedy lies only in the civil court.

    (2) If the dispute is an industrial dispute arising out of a right or liability under the general or common law and not under the Act, the jurisdiction of the civil court is alternative, leaving it to the election of the suitor concerned to choose his remedy for the relief which is competent to be granted in a particular remedy.

    (3) If the industrial dispute relates to the enforcement of a right or an obligation created under the Act, then the only remedy available to the suitor is to get an adjudication under the Act.

    (4) If the right which is sought to be enforced is a right created under the Act such as Chapter VA then the remedy for its enforcement is either section 33 C or the raising of an industrial dispute, as the case may be.” The principle laid down in sub-para (3) above is fully applicable to the matter in hand, as the right for obligation under Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act, the enforcement of which is sought by the petitioner, is a creation of that Act and the only and exclusive remedy available in such circumstances was to get an adjudication under that very Act.

    7. The aforesaid decision has been followed by their Lordships of the Supreme Court again in Rotas Industries Ltd. v. Rotas Industries Staff Union (4), wherein their Lordships of the Supreme Court observed that the Industrial Disputes Act is a comprehensive and self-contained Code, so far as the enforcement of the rights created therein are concerned and such rights can only be enforced through the procedure laid down in that Act. After quoting the observations made in the Premier Automobiles' case (2), their Lordships made the following observations in Rotas Industries' case (4):—

    “Since, the Act which creates rights and remedies has to be considered as one homogenous whole, it has to be regarded uno flatu, in one breath, as it were. On this doctrinal basis, the remedy for the illegal strike (a concept which is the creature not of the common law but of Section 24 of the Act) has to be sought exclusively in Section 26 of the Act.”

    8. In view of the decisions of their Lordships of the Supreme Court in Premier Automobiles case (2) and Rotas Industries case (4), with great respect to the learned Judges of the Kerala High Court, I am unable to follow the decision in Sasidharan's case (1). In my humble view, the proper remedy for the petitioner, if he desires to take an objection regarding the alleged infringement of the provisions of Section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, is to raise an industrial dispute and for this reason also this objection cannot be allowed to be raised in the writ proceedings in this Court. No other point was argued by the learned counsel before me.

    9. As a result of the foregoing discussion, the writ petition has no force and is dismissed. However, the parties are left to bear their own costs.

    Use AI to get other relevant cases.

    Comments

    Shanker Lal Mali v. State Of Rajasthan
    (May 2, 1980)