SYNDICATE BANKversusN. R. BHAT

                [2023] 15 S.C.R. 475 : 2023 INSC 1064



                           CASE DETAILS
                          SYNDICATE BANK
                                     v.
                               N. R. BHAT
     (Petition for Special Leave to Appeal (Civil) No.7277 of 2020)
                          OCTOBER 10, 2023
    [HIMA KOHLI AND AHSANUDDIN AMANULLAH, JJ.]
                             HEADNOTES

      Issue for consideration: Matter was settled between the parties
(respondent-employee and petitioner-bank) by virtue of the Joint
Compromise Memo dated 17.06.2019, however, the High Court permitted
the respondent-employee to exercise the option of availing retiral benefits
and directed the petitioner-bank to pass appropriate orders.
      Service Law – Respondent-employee was dismissed by petitioner-
bank – Before the High Court, the parties arrived at an amicable
settlement in terms of a Joint Memo dated 17.06.2019 where under
the petitioner-Bank agreed to substitute the penalty of dismissal
from service imposed on the respondent-employee with the penalty
of reduction of time scale of pay by four stages but without adversely
affecting his retiral benefits – Further, the respondent-employee was
granted liberty to exercise the option of availing retiral benefits and
with a further direction to the petitioner-Bank to consider and pass
appropriate orders – Aggrieved by the liberty granted to the respondent-
employee, petitioner- bank filed appeal:
      Held: Submission of the petitioner–Bank accepted for the simple reason
that even if the relationship of the employer-employee had ceased on the
dismissal of the respondent-employee on 03.03.1997, once the dismissal
order passed by the Disciplinary Authority and upheld by the Appellate
Authority vide order dated 06.04.1997, was set aside by the High Court by
virtue of the judgment dated 23.06.2005, the umbilical cord between the
petitioner-Bank and the respondent-employee stood restored and there was
ample opportunity for the respondent-employee to have exercised the option
(pension) in terms of the Circular dated 16.04.2010, which he failed to do
                                     475
476             SUPREME COURT REPORTS                      [2023] 15 S.C.R.


– Having missed the bus, the respondent-employee could not have claimed
any benefit of pension that too after entering into a Joint Memo of Settlement
with the petitioner-Bank – As far as release of amount as per Joint Memo
is concerned, while issuing notice on 30.06.2020 this Court permitted Joint
Memo between the parties to be implemented – The petitioner-Bank did not
release the amounts payable to the respondent-employee in terms of the Memo
of settlement and that the said amounts were finally released as recently as
on 30.09.2023 – Therefore, the respondent-employee to be compensated
for illegal withholding of the settlement dues payable to him in terms of the
Joint Memo dated 17.06.2019 – Having regard to the fact that this is an issue
relating to withholding of retiral benefits, it is deemed appropriate to direct
the petitioner-Bank to pay simple interest at the rate of 12% per annum to
the respondent-employee w.e.f. 01.07.2019, till the date the said amount is
released in favour of the respondent-employee. [Paras 7, 9, 10]
         OTHER CASE DETAILS INCLUDING IMPUGNED
                ORDER AND APPEARANCES
      EXTRAORDINARY APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Special Leave
Petition (Civil) No.7277 of 2020.
    From the Judgment and Order dated 17.06.2019 of the High Court of
Karnataka at Bengaluru in WA No.3255 of 2005.
       Appearances:
      Puneet Taneja, Manmohan Singh Narua, Amit Yadav, Advs. for the
Petitioner.
    Ayush Negi, Ms. Vishakha Upadhaya, Shikhar Chanda, Advs. for the
Respondent.
         JUDGMENT / ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT

                                    ORDER

     1. The Petitioner-Bank is aggrieved by an order dated 17th June, 2019
passed by the Division Bench of the High Court in an Intra Court Appeal 1



1     Writ Appeal No.3255 of 2005
                SYNDICATE BANK v. N. R. BHAT                              477


whereby, while taking on record the Joint Memo dated 17th June, 2019 filed
by the parties, in view of the submission made by learned counsel for the
respondent-employee that he would be submitting a request to the petitioner-
Bank for opting for pension. The respondent-employee was permitted to
exercise the option of availing retiral benefits and making a written request to
the petitioner-Bank to pass appropriate orders within eight weeks thereafter.
     2. Before adverting to the submissions made by learned counsel for
the parties, a brief reference to the relevant facts is necessary:
      3. The respondent-employee joined the services of the petitioner-Bank
as an Officer Trainee on 31st March, 1969. On completion of probation, he
was posted as a Probationary Junior Officer on 3 rd October, 1969. On 6th
August, 1982, the respondent-employee was suspended in contemplation of
disciplinary proceedings. After the disciplinary proceedings were concluded,
the Disciplinary Authority passed an order on 3rd March, 1997 dismissing
the respondent-employee from service. The said order has been upheld by
the Appellate Authority vide order dated on 6th April, 1997. Aggrieved by
the aforesaid orders, the respondent-employee preferred a writ petition 2
before the High Court. Vide order dated 23rd June, 2005, the High Court set
aside the two orders passed by the Disciplinary Authority and the Appellate
Authority and the matter was remitted back to the Petitioner – Bank for
reconsideration.
      4. Aggrieved by the said order, the petitioner preferred an Intra Court
Appeal1 before the Division Bench of the High Court. During the pendency
of the writ appeal, the parties arrived at an amicable settlement in terms
of a Joint Memo dated 17th June, 2019 where under the petitioner-Bank
agreed to substitute the penalty of dismissal from service imposed on the
respondent-employee with the penalty of reduction of time scale of pay
by four stages but without adversely affecting his retiral benefits. It was in
the course of taking on record the aforesaid Joint Memo that the impugned
order came to be passed granting liberty to the respondent-employee to
exercise the option of availing retiral benefits and with a further direction
to the petitioner-Bank to consider and pass appropriate orders on such a
representation within eight weeks thereafter.


2   Writ Petition No.20386/1997
478           SUPREME COURT REPORTS                          [2023] 15 S.C.R.


      5. Aggrieved by the aforesaid liberty granted to the respondent-
employee, the petitioner-Bank has filed the present petition stating inter alia
that the High Court ought not to have permitted the respondent-employee
to apply for pensionary benefits considering the fact that the entire matter
was settled between the parties by virtue of the Joint Compromise Memo
dated 17th June, 2019; that there was no further scope of a settlement with
the petitioner-Bank and that the respondent-employee had an opportunity
to opt for a pension scheme in the year 1995 when the Syndicate Bank
Employees (Pension Regulations) were first notified and at that time, he was
an employee of the Bank but having failed to do so then, he cannot demand
that pension be released in his favour.
      6. Learned counsel for the petitioner-Bank further draws the attention
of this Court to the Circular dated 16th September, 2010 filed by the
respondent-employee with counter affidavit (Annexure A) whereunder
another opportunity was extended to those employees who had not opted
for pension earlier, to enable them to do so in terms of the said circular. It is
stated that despite the said option having been available to the respondent-
employee in terms of the captioned circular, he had failed to exercise the
same and therefore, is barred from raising the issue of exercising his option
for pension as belatedly as in the year 2019.
      7. We are inclined to accept the submission made by learned counsel for
the petitioner–Bank for the simple reason that even if the relationship of the
employer-employee had ceased on the dismissal of the respondent-employee
on 3rd March, 1997, once the dismissal order passed by the Disciplinary
Authority and upheld by the Appellate Authority vide order dated 6th April,
1997, was set aside by the High Court by virtue of the judgment dated
23rd June, 2005, the umbilical cord between the petitioner-Bank and the
respondent-employee stood restored and there was ample opportunity for the
respondent-employee to have exercised the option in terms of the Circular
dated 16th April, 2010, which he failed to do. Having missed the bus, the
respondent-employee could not have claimed any benefit of pension that
too after entering into a Joint Memo of Settlement with the petitioner-Bank.
     8. We are, therefore, of the opinion that no such option could have
been permitted to be exercised by the respondent-employee at such a belated
stage, in the year 2019.
                 SYNDICATE BANK v. N. R. BHAT                               479


      9. At this stage, learned counsel for the respondent-employee submits
that while issuing notice in the present petition on 30th June, 2020, it was
made clear by this Court that directions of the Division Bench in para 6
shall not be implemented. However, the Joint Memo dated 17th June, 2019
filed in the High Court was permitted to be implemented. It is stated that in
the teeth of the said order, the petitioner-Bank did not release the amounts
payable to the respondent-employee in terms of the Memo of settlement and
that the said amounts were finally released as recently as on 30th September,
2023. He, therefore, states that that the respondent-employee ought to be
compensated for illegal withholding of the settlement dues payable to him
in terms of the Joint Memo dated 17th June, 2019.
      10. We find substance in the aforesaid submission made by learned
counsel for the respondent-employee. It was made clear to the petitioner-
Bank on the very first date that the Joint Memo ought to be implemented.
For reasons best known to the petitioner-Bank, the same has not been
implemented. The petitioner-Bank is, therefore, directed to restitute the
respondent-employee by paying him interest which in our opinion, should
be more than the ordinary rate of interest on an FDR that the petitioner-Bank
offers to the public at large. Having regard to the fact that this is an issue
relating to withholding of retiral benefits, it is deemed appropriate to direct
the petitioner-Bank to pay simple interest at the rate of 12% per annum to
the respondent-employee w.e.f. 1st July, 2019, till the date the said amount
is released in favour of the respondent-employee. The interest component
shall be paid within four weeks from today failing which, the same shall
stand enhanced from 12% to 15% per annum.
     11. The Petition for special leave to appeal is disposed of on the above
terms.


Headnotes prepared by:                                      Petition disposed of.
Ankit Gyan