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Court Orders BEST to Hire Conductor's Son
26 Mar
Summary
- Bombay HC ordered BEST to employ conductor's son compassionately.
- The conductor died in 2020 after serving BEST for 27 years.
- BEST also ordered to pay Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia compensation.
In a significant ruling, the Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the BrihanMumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) to provide employment to the son of a bus conductor who tragically passed away in 2020. The conductor had dedicated 27 years of service to BEST and contracted COVID-19 while on duty during the lockdown.
The court's order mandates BEST to complete the compassionate hiring process within 60 days. Furthermore, the transport undertaking is required to disburse Rs 50 lakh as ex-gratia compensation to the family of the deceased conductor. This decision overturns a prior order from November 2021 that had denied the son's request for employment.
The legal battle highlighted BEST's argument that the conductor's death was due to a heart attack, not COVID-19, thereby disqualifying the claim under their welfare policy. However, the high court noted that the death certificate listed both COVID-19 and heart attack as causes, emphasizing the conductor's role as the sole earning member.
