IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

                        CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

                        CIVIL APPEAL NO. 5701 OF 2015

                 (Arising out of S.L.P. (C) No. 26629/2014)

SHRI                 TALUKDAR                  SINGH

                                   Versus

TATA ENGINEERING & LOCOMOTIVE CO. Ltd.                                    ...Respondent

                               J U D G M E N T

R. BANUMATHI, J.

Leave granted.

2.          This appeal arises out of the order passed by the High Court  of

Bombay in Writ Petition No.3646 of 2001 dated 19.06.2014, in and  by  which,

the High Court enhanced the retrenchment compensation of Rs.6,049/-  awarded

by the Labour Court to Rs. 1,00,000/- without any interest.

  3.               A  charge-sheet  dated  07.05.1988  was  issued  to   the

appellant for committing the  misconduct  of  slapping  his  colleague,  Mr.

Kunjumon who  was  working  with  the  respondent-company.  An  enquiry  was

conducted against the appellant and  the  services  of  the  appellant  were

terminated on 07.05.1990. The appellant challenged  his  termination  and  a

reference  was  made  to  the  Labour  Court,  Pune.  By  the  award   dated

28.02.2000, Labour Court held that the enquiry  against  the  appellant  was

fair and proper and the misconduct was proved.  However,  the  Labour  Court

held  that  the  punishment  of  dismissal  from  service   was   shockingly

disproportionate and awarded retrenchment compensation of Rs.6,049/- to  the

appellant. Being aggrieved, the appellant  filed  writ  petition  contending

that the punishment  of  dismissal  was  harsh  and  that  the  retrenchment

compensation of Rs. 6,049/- awarded was  no  compensation  at  all.  By  the

impugned  judgment,  the  High  Court  while  upholding  the  punishment  of

dismissal,   enhanced    the    compensation    to    Rs.1,00,000/-    minus

Rs.6,049/- which was already paid to the  appellant.  Still  aggrieved,  the

appellant has preferred this appeal.

4.               We have heard Mr. S. Ravi Shankar, the learned counsel  for

the appellant and the Learned Senior Counsel    Mr.  C.U.  Singh,  appearing

for  the  respondent-management  and  perused  the  impugned  judgment   and

material on record.

5.                The  short  question  is  whether  the   compensation   of

Rs.1,00,000/- awarded by the High Court is to be  enhanced.   Appellant  who

was an ex-serviceman was employed with the respondent-company  as  a  Turner

in the Auto Division w.e.f. 09.01.1978 drawing monthly  wage  of  Rs.2,621/-

and he worked till he was terminated on 07.05.1990.  It  is  seen  from  the

record that Mr. Kunjumon used harsh words and shoved the  appellant  towards

the door and evidence would show that it was not a  premeditated  attack  on

Mr. Kunjumon.  Both the Labour Court as well  as  the  High  Court  recorded

concurrent findings of fact that the misconduct of the appellant was  proved

on the basis of the evidence  and  that  the  punishment  of  dismissal  was

shockingly disproportionate. When the Labour Court  passed  the  award,  the

appellant was about      59 years and he attained the age of  superannuation

in the year 2002. Considering  the  number  of  years  which  the  appellant

worked with the respondent and the facts and circumstances of the  case,  we

are of  the  view  that  the  interest  of  justice  would  be  met  if  the

compensation  of  Rs.1,00,000/-  is  enhanced  to  Rs.5,00,000/-  which   is

inclusive of the compensation awarded by the High  Court.  The  judgment  of

Bombay High Court is accordingly modified and the compensation  is  enhanced

to Rs.5,00,000/- which shall be payable by the respondent  within  a  period

of eight weeks and in the event of default the same shall  be  payable  with

interest at the rate of 9% p.a. and the appeal is partly allowed.  No  order

as to costs.

                                                                …………………………J.

                                                     (T.S. THAKUR)

                                                                …………………………J.

                   (V.GOPALA GOWDA)

                                                                …………………………J.

                                                        (R. BANUMATHI)

New Delhi;

July 24, 2015

ITEM NO.1H-For Judgment        COURT NO.2               SECTION XV

               S U P R E M E  C O U R T  O F  I N D I A

                       RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

C.A. No. 5701/2015 @ Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (C)  No(s).

26629/2014

(Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 19/06/2014 in WP

No. 3646/2001 passed by the High Court Of Bombay)

TALUKDAR SINGH                                     Petitioner(s)

                                VERSUS

TATA ENGINEERING AND LOCOMOTIVE CO. LTD            Respondent(s)

Date : 24/07/2015 This appeal was called on for pronouncement of JUDGMENT

today.

For Petitioner(s)    Mr. S. Ravi Shankar,Adv.

For Respondent(s)       Mr. C.U. Singh, Sr. Adv.

                        Mr. Debmalya Banerjee, Adv.

                        Mr. Aman Singh, Adv.

                        Mr. Manish Sharma, Adv.

                        Mrs. Manik Karanjawala

                     For M/s. Karanjawala & Co.

            Hon'ble Mrs. Justice R. Banumathi  pronounced  the  judgment  of

the Bench comprising Hon'ble Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur,  Hon'ble  Mr.  Justice

V. Gopala Gowda and Hon'ble Mrs. Justice R. Banumathi.

            Leave granted.

            The appeal is partly allowed in terms of the  Signed  Reportable

Judgment.

      (VINOD KR.JHA)                         (VEENA KHERA)

       COURT MASTER                                COURT MASTER

          (Signed Reportable judgment is placed on the file)