Bad news for Azim Premji as Delhi HC directs Wipro to pay Rs 200000 to ex-employee due to...

The Delhi High Court has directed Wipro Limited to pay Rs 2 lakh compensation to a former employee sacked with defamatory remarks in the termination letter. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav on July 14 expunged the contentious remarks on the professional character of the employee and asked the company to issue him a fresh termination letter.

"Termination letter, replete with stigmatic language and bereft of any foundation, constitutes actionable defamation. The remarks therein, couched in the use of the term 'malicious conduct', not only lack substantiation but also have a direct and deleterious impact on the future employability and professional dignity of the plaintiff," it said. The tenor of the communication was stated to reveal discernible intent to carry out a form of "character assassination" under the guise of administrative formality, compounding the damage to the plaintiff's reputation and standing.

Former employee seeks Rs 2 crore in damages 

The compensatory damages were awarded to the employee to "redress the reputational harm, emotional hardship and loss of his professional credibility". The former employee had sought Rs 2 crore in damages from the company. Wipro's counsel argued the plaintiff's behaviour reflected his lack of interest in improving his professional performance, leading to his termination.

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The court said the plaintiff had successfully shown a clear mismatch between the remarks in the termination letter and the consistent positive feedback reflected in various official documents. Law cannot, the court said, allow reputational harm borne out of unsupported accusations to continue unabated that could significantly impact an individual's career and prospects.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)