|Gauhati High Court
Forfeiture of Gratuity | Requires Specific Finding of Theft or Mala Fides; Mere Shortage Not Enough for Dismissal: Gauhati HC
The Gauhati High Court has ruled that employees with decades of unblemished service cannot be dismissed and stripped of gratuity based solely on unexplained stock shortages without proof of individual dishonesty or malicious intent. This reinforces the principle of proportionality in disciplinary action and protects long-serving public employees from punitive overreach absent culpable conduct.