U.P. Stte Electricity Board vs Laxmi Kant Gupta

The Supreme Court held that the Labour Court's award of reinstatement without back wages was justified under Section 6-N of the U.P. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, given the respondent's 10-year delay in raising the dispute. The Court established that the relief for illegal termination is discretionary and not automatic, allowing for compensation instead of reinstatement with back wages, as per the evolving jurisprudence noted in U.P. State Brassware Corporation Ltd. & another vs. Uday Narain Pandey and Haryana State Electronics Development Corporation vs. Mamni. The Court set aside the High Court's judgment and the Labour Court's award, emphasizing the need for a contextual approach to relief in termination cases.