Court mitigates bus conductor’s punishment

• SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Can a government bus conductor be dismissed from service for having misappropriated Rs.27.50 by not issuing ticket to one of the passengers? No, says the Madras High Court Bench here which has modified the punishment to stopping two increments in salary with cumulative effect.

The order was passed on a writ appeal preferred by M. Kanniyappan who had served as a bus conductor for Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) for over 26 years since 1975, before being terminated from service on August 2, 2001 on the charge of having received Rs.55 from two passengers, but issuing only one ticket to them during their travel from Tiruchi to Madurai on September 28, 2000.

Three checking inspectors of TNSTC had caught the conductor red-handed at Melur near here. Though the passengers made a written statement accusing the conductor of issuing them only one ticket despite receiving money for two, the appellant reportedly refused to counter sign the statement leaving the checking inspectors with no choice but to get it attested by the bus driver before initiating an inquiry. Then, the conductor denied the allegation against him.

Pointing out that the appellant had been waging a legal battle for the last 16 years and in the meantime he had attained the age of superannuation, the Division Bench modified his punishment to stoppage of two increments.

Says dismissal from service for misappropriating Rs. 27.50 is disproportionate to the charge