- (1.) This is a Letters Patent Appeal by the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Ltd., Chandigarh (hereinafter referred to as 'the Corporation'), against the judgment of the learned Single Judge, by which he had allowed the writ petition of Mandeep Singh, writ petitioner (now respondent) and quashed the order dated 6th August, 1987 (Annexure P.1) passed by the Corporation, terminating the services of the writ petitioner Mandeep Singh.
(2.) It was alleged in the writ petition that the writ petitioner did his B. Com. and LL.B. with 66.6 per cent marks. He took six months' training with M/s Toshiba Anand Batteries Limited, Cochin and also worked as Marketing Officer with M/s Peters and Smith (India) Private Limited, Calcutta for about two years, i.e. from April 1983 to March, 1985. Thereafter, he applied for the post of Management Trainee with the appellant-Corporation and having been selected, was so appointed vide letter of appointment dated 11th March, 1985 (Annexure P.2). After the completion of the training period, Mandeep Singh, writ petitioner, was informed by the Corporation vide letter dated 13th April, 1987 (Annexure P.3) that he was being offered the post of Manager Grade III, with the basic pay of Rs. 940/-, with effect from 3rd October, 1986. Vide this appointment letter, the writ petitioner had been put on probation for a period of one year with effect from 3rd October, 1986. According to the further allegation in the writ petition, in June 1987, there was a change of the Managing Director of the Corporation and as a matter of policy he took a decision to extend the period of probation or terminate the services of the employees like the writ petitioner who had not done M.B.A. or Engineering. An order dated 6th August, 1987 (Annexure P.1) was passed relieving the petitioner with immediate effect from the post of Manager Grade-III.
(3.) The Corporation terminated the services of one Tarun Sadana on 3rd December, 1987, who was also appointed as Manager Grade-III. Said Mr. Sadana filed C.P.W. No. 9233 of 1987 in this Court which was allowed on 4th August, 1988 and the order terminating his services was quashed and the Corporation was directed to reinstate him with continuity of service and salary with interest @ 12 per cent per annum. According to the writ petitioner, he and his father had been meeting the Chairman of the Corporation as well as the Managing Director and they were assuring that the petitioner's case would be reconsidered. After Shri Tarun Sadana's judgment, a legal notice dated 17th August, 1988 was served on the Corporation on behalf of the writ petitioner. Since no action was taken by the Corporation on the legal notice, the petitioner approached this Court by way of writ petition, which, as stated above, was allowed by the learned Single Judge.;