By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad, July 11 :The AP High Court on Friday found fault with APSRTC management in placing one of its bus drivers under suspension and directed the management to withdraw the suspension orders with immediate effect. Mr. T.S.P. Reddy, driver of Nellore bus depot, was placed under suspension on charges of stealing gold ornaments from a passenger’s bag left behind in the bus.
The RTC inquiry committee investigated the issue and suspended him on June 27. The driver had approached the court informing it that he is innocent and that it was he who had telephoned the bag owner after he found a telephone number in the bag.
The passenger had forgot to take his bag while getting down from the bus.
The RTC enquiry committee inquired into the issue and subsequently the driver was placed under suspension on June 27 this year.
The driver had approached the court informing it that he is innocent and that he was the person who had telephoned the bag owner stating that the bag would be handed over to the Depot Clerk.
The driver had found the telephone number of owner in the bag.
However, when the passenger came to take back his bag, he found some of the gold ornaments missing and subsequently lodged a complaint with the RTC higher officials.
The court expressed its anguish over the way the management has dealt with the entire case.
After hearing the details of the case, Justice L Narasimha Reddy observed that: "The RTC management is setting a bad precedent by punishing a good Samaritan. If this is the treatment for an honest employee, no one would dare to attempt to return the belongings of the passengers who forget them in the buses".
The judge further observed that: "if driver has had any intention to take away the property, he would have never attempted to call the owner of the bag and could have simply walked away with it. The driver has displayed his honesty by calling up the bag owner even before handing over the bag in the Depot ".
The judge said the RTC enquiry committee seems to have not conducted an n-depth inquiry into the incident. The court directed that suspension orders should be withdrawn immediately.
The RTC inquiry committee investigated the issue and suspended him on June 27. The driver had approached the court informing it that he is innocent and that it was he who had telephoned the bag owner after he found a telephone number in the bag.
The passenger had forgot to take his bag while getting down from the bus.
The RTC enquiry committee inquired into the issue and subsequently the driver was placed under suspension on June 27 this year.
The driver had approached the court informing it that he is innocent and that he was the person who had telephoned the bag owner stating that the bag would be handed over to the Depot Clerk.
The driver had found the telephone number of owner in the bag.
However, when the passenger came to take back his bag, he found some of the gold ornaments missing and subsequently lodged a complaint with the RTC higher officials.
The court expressed its anguish over the way the management has dealt with the entire case.
After hearing the details of the case, Justice L Narasimha Reddy observed that: "The RTC management is setting a bad precedent by punishing a good Samaritan. If this is the treatment for an honest employee, no one would dare to attempt to return the belongings of the passengers who forget them in the buses".
The judge further observed that: "if driver has had any intention to take away the property, he would have never attempted to call the owner of the bag and could have simply walked away with it. The driver has displayed his honesty by calling up the bag owner even before handing over the bag in the Depot ".
The judge said the RTC enquiry committee seems to have not conducted an n-depth inquiry into the incident. The court directed that suspension orders should be withdrawn immediately.
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