Madhya Pradesh High Court Reinstates Contractual Govt Employee Fired Due To Registration Of Criminal Case For 'Taking Bribes'

The Madhya Pradesh High Court reinstated a Junior Assistant employed on a contractual basis with the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation, who was terminated due to a bribery case. The court found the termination unjustified as the Madhya Pradesh Sadak Vikas Nigam (Sewa Bharti Tatha Sewa Sharten) Niyam, 2016, did not allow termination solely based on the registration of an offence. Justice Sanjay Dwivedi noted that the termination was stigmatic and could hinder future employment. The court emphasized that major penalties like termination should follow proper inquiry and conviction, not merely registration of a criminal case. The petitioner, employed since 2011, was terminated in April 2022 after being caught allegedly accepting a bribe. The court ruled that the petitioner’s services should be governed by the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1966, and reinstated him, highlighting the need for due process in employment termination cases.