Case Law Analysis
|Supreme Court of India
Minor Penalty Must Relate Back to Termination Date | Departmental Inquiry Doctrine : SC
The Supreme Court ruled that a minor penalty imposed post-reinstatement in a departmental inquiry must relate back to the initial termination date, entitling the officer to back wages, notional benefits, and consequential promotions. The judgment quashed contempt proceedings with a cost of Rs. 10 lakhs and directed payment of arrears with interest, reinforcing the doctrine of retrospective effect in service law.