Tea and biscuits cost him a 17-year job, High Court reinstates dismissed peon

The Jharkhand High Court reinstated a Bokaro DRDA peon dismissed for taking tea leaves and biscuits home. The bench said the penalty was disproportionate after 17 years of service and ordered part salary payment.

In Short

• Jharkhand High Court overturns peon's dismissal over minor lapse
• Ranjit Kumar Himanshu reinstated after 17 years of service
• Court calls termination disproportionate and unjust

The Jharkhand High Court has overturned the dismissal of a peon accused of taking tea and biscuits home from the office, observing that terminating an employee over a minor lapse after 17 years of service was disproportionate and against the principles of justice.

The court reinstated Ranjit Kumar Himanshu, who had served as a contract peon at the Bokaro District Rural Development Agency (DRDA).

A division bench comprising Chief Justice MS Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar criticised the administration’s decision, saying that punishment must be proportionate to the misconduct and that harsh action cannot be justified when an employee’s mistake does not cause serious loss or damage to the government system.

The case dates back to March 2022, when the then Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) issued a show-cause notice to Himanshu over the alleged incident. The notice, however, did not clearly mention the items that were reportedly missing.

During the proceedings, Himanshu’s counsel informed the court that he had admitted taking home tea leaves and biscuits left in the office and had returned the items after receiving the notice.

Despite this, his contractual service was terminated on May 2, 2022.

The High Court observed that the administration failed to consider the employee’s long service record and the nature of the allegation before imposing the extreme penalty of dismissal.

The court directed DRDA Bokaro to reinstate Himanshu before July 10 and ordered payment of 50 per cent of his pending salary by July 30.

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