HC cancels cancer patient's retirement

Ahmedabad: Popat Sutreja was forcibly retired in 2014 from the post of deputy district manager in Gujarat State Civil Supply Corporation Ltd on the ground that he was not fit to work due to cancer. His unauthorized leave was cited to make him retire in 2014.
Gujarat high court has cancelled the government's decision to give him premature retirement and ordered consequential benefits be given to his heirs.This is because Sutreja passed away while the litigation was pending.
In this case, Sutreja refused promotion in 2012 citing social reasons and that he was not well. He even sought a transfer from Junagadh to Ahmedabad, when he underwent his first round of treatment. He later went back to Junagadh to work in 2013.
In February 2014, the department ordered him to take premature retirement on the ground that he had remained on leave for 49 days without any prior permission. On the other hand, Sutreja claimed that the medical board had never declared him unfit for work.
Sutreja lost his case before a single-judge bench. After the case came up before the division bench, he died and his heirs were made party in the proceedings.
After hearing the case at length, a division bench of Chief Justice R S Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi observed that instead of initiating inquiry into his absence, he was directly made to retire.