'Poor Litigant Harassed For 22 Years' : Supreme Court Imposes Rs 10 Lakh Cost On Rajashtan Govt For Refusing To Reinstate Labourer

The Supreme Court on Friday (February 16) imposed a cost of Rs. 10,00,000/- (Ten Lakhs only) on the State of Rajasthan for harassing the poor litigant, who was compelled to file repeated litigation to get the fruits of the award of the Labour Court.

Terming the plea filed by the State as frivolous litigation, the Bench Comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma dismissed the plea filed by the State while expressing dissatisfaction towards the conduct of the state to compel the poor litigant to file repeated litigation to get the benefit of the award.

The respondent labourer was reinstated by the Labour Court in the year 2001, however, the benefit of the award was not extended to the respondent labourer.

The award passed by the Labour Court was upheld by the Single Bench and the Division Bench of the High Court. After that, the single bench and the division bench of the High Court passed orders directing the implementation of the award.

It is against the impugned order of the High Court that the State of Rajasthan had preferred a Plea before the Supreme Court.

It is worthwhile to mention that the respondent labourer has been litigating for the last 22 years to receive the benefits of the award passed by the labour court in his favour.

“It is unfortunate that the State of Rajasthan has been harassing the poor litigant, a part-time labourer, who was extended benefits by the Labour Court in the year 2001, i.e. for the last 22 years he has been litigating. This is totally a frivolous petition”, the Supreme Court observed.

“It is, accordingly, dismissed with costs of Rs.10,00,000/- (Rupees ten lakhs only) to be paid to the respondent within four weeks from today and file proof of such payment before this Court within six weeks.”, the Supreme Court added.

Case Title : State of Rajasthan v. Gopal Bijawat |Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (C) No(s). 3398/2024

Citation : 2024 LiveLaw (SC) 125

Click here to read the order