New Delhi
‘Criminal action cannot be taken on the work place by considering the scolding of seniors as an’ intentional insult ‘.’ The Supreme Court has said these things in one of its decisions. The Supreme Court said that serious consequences can be revealed by bringing such cases under the purview of crime. Doing this can affect the disciplinary atmosphere of the office.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta of the Supreme Court said that only abusive, rudeness, disabilities or indecency cannot be considered intentional insults under Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Section 504 IPC has a provision to insult with the intention of disturbing peace. It can be punished up to two years. It has now been replaced under Section 352 of the Indian Justice Code (BNS) from July 2024.
Now know what is the whole matter
The Supreme Court, while canceling the 2022 case, was accused of humiliating an assistant professor of the acting director of the National Institute of Mental Disability Empowerment Institute. In this case, the complainant had alleged that the director had rebuked and reprimanded him in front of other employees. It was also alleged that the director did not provide enough PPE kits in the institute, which was in danger of spreading infectious diseases like Kovid-19.
The Supreme Court said that the allegations are only speculating. In our opinion, the rebuke by the senior official cannot be considered ‘with the intention of insult’, provided that this rebuke is associated with discipline and discharge of duties related to the workplace.
The court said that it is a general expectation that the person who manages at the workplace will expect his junior to perform his professional duties with full allegiance and dedication. ‘