News

Volume 2 Issue 17 - September 01, 2004

High Court sensitive to stuttering assistant

DNIS News Network - The Delhi High Court has asked the authorities of the Guru Tegh Bahadur Polytechnic Institute to re-examine the case in which they terminated the services of their laboratory assistant on account of stammering.

Two years ago, Guru Tegh Bahadur Polytechnic Institute in New Delhi dismissed laboratory assistant, Tarun Popli, on account of his stuttering. But now the Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to examine the matter afresh.

The management contended that Popli's stammer would come in the way of his work, as he was required to conduct practicals, which involved explaining experiments to students.

A medical report from AIIMS, however, stated that Popli did not suffer from any physical defect but it was merely a case of "stuttering".

Keeping this in mind, Justice Manmohan Sarin said that the DSGMC should have come forward to help the employee overcome his problem by arranging for his treatment with a speech therapist. He also added that the DSGMC should have acted in a manner conducive to building his confidence, keeping in mind its commitment to charity and public service.

"It appears to me prima facie that in this case the defect was not of such a nature which was not capable of being significantly improved," said Justice Sarin.