Kohima: The Gauhati High Court’s Kohima Bench issued a series of rulings this week impacting labor disputes, land-based employment claims, and a major military corruption case. Justice Robin Phukan dismissed two petitions from 548 PWD work-charged laborers seeking back wages from March 2020. These workers, split between Peren district and the Tuli Division in Mokokchung, faced termination following a September 11, 2024, Cabinet decision. Authorities identified these employees as potentially bogus during a departmental verification.
The court acknowledged the workers were barred from duty since 2021, but ultimately sided with the state. The ruling declared that since the appointments lacked validity from the start, "there was never a valid right to be on duty or to receive salary." Meanwhile, a Division Bench upheld a Central Administrative Tribunal order requiring the Central Institute of Horticulture in Medziphema to regularize a stenographer. The court noted the institute kept her on staff for 17 years and must act as a model employer.
Justice Phukan also quashed two Medical Attendant appointments at the Kejok Sub-Centre in Tuensang and the Sungro Primary Health Centre in Wokha. The court rejected claims that land donation grants an automatic right to government jobs, noting the benefits do not extend to descendants. Both appointments were voided for failing to follow transparent procedures like public advertisements or interviews. The court ordered fresh recruitment for these roles.
Finally, Justice Helen Dawngliani set aside a discharge order in a CBI case involving alleged Army ration procurement fraud. The case covers Rs 82 lakh in suspected illegal gratification between 2012 and 2016. The judge directed the Special Judge in Dimapur to re-examine the discharge application within two months.
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