#standard of proof

Calcutta High Court rules that proven gross misconduct in disciplinary proceedings is sufficient to forfeit gratuity under Section 4(6)(b)(ii) of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, even without a criminal conviction. The ruling clarifies that procedural lapses in notice are curable, reinforcing employers' rights to withhold gratuity for serious misconduct.

The Bombay High Court has ruled that cancelling a Talathi selection based solely on visual comparison of photographs and signatures-without expert analysis or corroborative testimony-violates natural justice and is legally unsustainable. This sets a critical precedent for all public recruitment processes, requiring substantive evidence over subjective assessment in disciplinary and selection disputes.