Delhi High Court has ordered the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to shell out about Rs 50 lakh to a former employee. Raj Singh, who worked as a driver for the Institute in the 1980s, was illegally terminated from service in 1998.
In his latest petition to the Delhi HC, Singh mentions that he had approached the labour court, which, in 1998, had observed that the termination of service was an unfair practice.
However, AIIMS challenged the Labour Court’s 1998 order regarding Singh’s employment termination using a special leave petition (SLP) at multiple levels, ultimately moving to the Supreme Court. This SLP was dismissed by the Supreme Court on June 3, 2016.
Sing sought compensation for the years he wasn’t able to work due to the illegal termination, and hence, served a legal notice to AIIMS. However, on the non-payment of the same, he moved to the High Court.
Justice Prathiba M Singh, in her verdict, observed that the ex-employee of AIIMS has been running from pillar to post since SC’s dismissal of the SLP.
She directed AIIMS to pay the amount of Rs 50,49,079 in terms of an order dated March 9, 2021 on or before October 30, 2021. The amount is computed on the basis of the salary that Singh would have received from December 4, 1998 to the date of superannuation, that is, October 31, 2016.
The petitioner, Raj Singh, will also be paid a pension of Rs 19,900 per month henceforth.
