HC praises CISF personnel-turned-lawyer for donating backwages to legal fraternity

PTI, Jul 17, 2022, 10:12 AM IST

Chennai: The Madras High Court has placed on record its appreciation to a CISF personnel-turned-lawyer, who has offered to donate his backwages, received upon reinstatement by the force, to the legal fraternity to benefit young and poor advocates.

Justice R Suresh Kumar recorded his appreciation while disposing of a writ petition from R Thiyagarajan, attached to the Arakkonam unit of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Vellore district, recently.

Thyagarajan joined the force in 1999 as a constable. He participated in the exam for the post of SI and was selected in October 2011. However, during the course of training for the post of SI, he was terminated from training in January, 2012. He moved the High Court and a single judge in September, 2017 ordered his reinstatement. Aggrieved, the CISF preferred an appeal and a division bench in February, 2018 confirmed the order of the single judge.

Left with no other go, the CISF reinstated him, but refused to pay the back wages for the suspended period. Hence, the present petition.

Meanwhile, Thyagarajan completed the three year Law degree course, enrolled himself with the Tamil Nadu Bar Council in December, 2016 and started practicing two years later.

Holding that reinstatement includes back wages too, Justice Suresh Kumar allowed the present petition.

The petitioner offered to donate the back wages for the welfare of the young and poor advocates. Appreciating the petitioner’s gesture, the judge said he has set himself as an example to others and shown that money is not the only desire. The back wages shall be paid to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the purpose of the welfare of young and needy lawyers.

The judge directed the CISF to calculate the back wages payable to the petitioner with 6 per cent interest and the same should be deposited with the TN Bar Council within six weeks.

The Council shall utilise the same for the welfare of young and needy lawyers, the judge added.