Supreme Court Orders Reinstatement of Employee Terminated for Non-Disclosure of Unknown Criminal Case

Case Snapshot

Case Name: Shatrughn Yadav v. The Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd. (F.A.C.T.) & Ors

Citation: 2026 INSC 829

Bench: Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Augustine George Masih

Date of Judgment: August 11, 2026

Area of Law: Service Law, Termination, Suppression of Criminal Antecedents

The Judgment in One Line

Employee cannot be terminated for suppressing a criminal case of which he had no knowledge; termination without considering nature of offence and suitability is illegal.

Why This Judgment Matters

This judgment clarifies the law on termination of employment for suppression of criminal antecedents. Applying the principles from Avtar Singh, the Supreme Court held that the employer must undertake a two-pronged enquiry: first, whether there was deliberate suppression or false information; second, whether the criminal antecedent is of such nature that merits termination. The Court emphasized that termination is not an automatic consequence of the existence of a criminal case. Where the employee demonstrates bona fide ignorance of the case and provides documentary evidence, termination without considering the nature of the offence and suitability is illegal. The judgment reinforces that knowledge of a fact is a necessary prerequisite for suppression.

Background

The appellant was appointed as Technician (Process) by FACT on May 5, 2021, on consolidated pay for a two-year tenure. At the time of joining, he

... Upgrade to a Premium Plan to view the full judgment.