Man to receive back wages after 38 years

The Bombay High Court has asked Hotel Oberoi Towers (now Trident), at Nariman Point, to pay back wages to a former employee whose services were terminated in 1982 for slapping a female employee inside the hotel's premises.

Justice AK Menon, while allowing the petition filed by Sunil Sharma, said, "In my view, the petitioner would be entitled to back wages for the period commencing from the date of his termination of services. The impugned award is to that extent is contrary to the facts and evidence on record."

Sharma was employed as a music operator and television technician with the hotel. It was alleged that on September 10, 1982, he slapped a female employee. A departmental inquiry found him guilty and his services were terminated on November 8, 1982.

He challenged this order before the Labour court which held the inquiry conducted by the hotel to be perverse and directed Sharma be reinstated. The hotel did not challenge the order thus it attained finality. However, Sharma was not paid back wages for the period he remained under termination from November 8, 1982 till January 30, 1990. This came to be challenged in the High Court.

The court, after going through the evidence and the records, held that there was inconsistency in the case thus allowed the petition filed by Sharma.