New Delhi, Sep 23 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has sought a response from the Indian Institute of Technology here on a plea challenging its decision to withhold post-retirement benefits of one of its employees who was facing allegations of cruelty by his daughter-in-law.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Amit Bansal issued notice on the plea by a junior lab assistant who claimed that gratuity and pension are “hard-earned benefits of an employee” and cannot be taken away on account of the pending criminal proceeding.

Also Read | Tamil Nadu Shocker: 20-Year-Old Woman Student of Madras Christian College Stabbed to Death Outside Tambaram Railway Station in Chennai.

“Issue notice. Let counter affidavit be filed before the next date of hearing,” the court said in its order dated September 20.

The petitioner, represented through lawyer Preeti Singh, has contended in his plea that the employer institution arbitrarily withheld his post-retirement benefits, without following the principle of natural justice or a fair procedure.

Also Read | West Bengal Assembly By-Elections 2021: 'Mamata Banerjee Will Be Defeated Again in Bhabanipur By-Poll', Says Hardeep Singh Puri.

The petitioner has further argued that the criminal proceedings initiated by daughter-in-law for the alleged offence under section(s) 498A, 406, and 34 (cruelty and criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code could not be considered as grave misconduct or a corrupt practice under The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 and therefore the decision to withhold the benefits deserved to be reversed.

“Mere filing of a criminal case against the petitioner and that too pertaining to the matrimonial issue does not establish or proves the fact that complainant is a criminal or he is men with no integrity,” the plea said.

The matter would be heard next on November 8.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)