HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT vs HITENDRA VRAJLAL ASHARA

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision to set aside the Inquiry Report and the dismissal of the respondent, a Judicial Officer, by the employer. The Court found that the employer's second Misc. Application to set aside an ex-parte award was improperly allowed without addressing the dismissal of the first application, thus violating principles of natural justice. The Court emphasized that the employer failed to provide adequate grounds for condoning the delay in filing the second application, leading to the conclusion that the dismissal was unjustified under the relevant provisions of service law.