New Delhi, June 15: Twelve years after an employee of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) was chargesheeted for 'misconduct', a labour court here has dismissed an application by the department seeking to approve its action of terminating his services. "The department has failed to prove the alleged misconduct of the respondent as no passenger witnesses were produced,” presiding officer P S Teji said in his order.
The incident dates back to 1991 when Balwan Singh, a conductor on Delhi-Jammu route, was chargesheeted by DTC on the ground that 10 passengers were allegedly having tickets of lesser amount though they had paid full fare to him.
DTC alleged that Singh not only refused to give 'way-bill' to checking staff but injured one of them by biting. The conductor then denied the complaint book to the staff and tore the statement given by passengers, DTC charged.
Holding Singh guilty of misconduct, DTC's disciplinary authority had removed him from service, remitted one month's salary to him by way of money order and filed an application under Section 33(2)(B) of Industrial Disputes Act for approval of its action.
However, defence counsel S C Juneja stated that Singh had deposited the entire record including the 'way-bill', 'hand block' and complaint book after his duty hours.
Bureau Report