STATE OF KARNATAKA vs RAVI KUMAR

The Supreme Court held that stale claims should not be referred under Section 10(1)(c) of the Industrial Disputes Act, as established in Nedungadi Bank Ltd. vs. K.P. Madhavankutty and others and Assistant Executive Engineer, Karnataka vs. Shivalinga. The Court found that the respondent's claim was stale, having been raised 14 years after termination, and thus the Labour Court's award was rightly set aside by the High Court. The appeal was allowed, restoring the Labour Court's dismissal of the reference.