Salil Kr. Hazra, J. - (1.) Nitindra Nath Bose (shortly I shall call him 'Bose') was an employee of National Rolling and Steel Ropes Ltd. (shortly I shall call 'the company'). The registered office of the company is at Nicco House, Hare Street, Calcutta. In or about November 1943 Bose joined service as an employee of the company's sister concern 'India Rolling Mills Ltd.' at an initial basic salary of Rs. 250 per month. He was designated as Production Manager. In or about July 1946 he was transferred to Hindusthan Wire and Metal Products Ltd. at a basic salary of Rs. 325 per month. In July 1950 his monthly basic salary rose to Rs. 550 per month. Bose became the Factory Manager of M/s. Conduit Pipes Ltd. He was deputed as 'special officer' for organising another sister concern known as M/s. National Pipes and Tubes Co. Ltd. He was posted as Works Manager of Hindusthan Wire and Metal Products Ltd. in March 1952 and his salary rose to Rs. 600 per month.
(2.) In June 1955, he was posted as Assistant to the Superintendent, Wire Mills of the company. In November 1955, Bose was sent to England by the company as trainee for specialised training in manufacturing steel wires. After his return from England in October 1956 Bose was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the Wire Mills of the company. His monthly basic salary at that time was Rs. 750 per month. He was promoted as Superintendent of Wire Mills of the company and was posted at the factory of the company at Shyamnagar in or about 1959. Thereafter, by stages his salary rose up to Rs. 1,050 with effect from January 1968. Thereafter, some events happened which are important for the purpose of this case.
(3.) On September 29, 1967, Sri S.C. Roy, a director of the company, addressed a letter to S.B. Firke, Acting Works Manager, Shyamnagar Works, 24 -Parganas. This was a confidential letter relating to production in Wire Mills. There are certain figures given in this letter relating to production scrap and loss of high tension wires and mild steel wires for the years 1965 -66 and 1966 -67. In this letter it is stated as follows: For H.T. wires the scrap and loss percentages for the year 1966 -67 appears to us to be abnormally high.... The management is greatly perturbed at the declining percentage's of production and we would like to have your views and comments regarding the reasons of such high percentages of loss and scraps. We are enclosing a duplicate of this letter which may kindly be handed over to the Wire Mill Superintendent for his study and comments. After the report from the Wire Mill Superintendent is received, we hope you would kindly discuss the matter with him and let us have a reply as early as possible.;