MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday quashed the suspension order passed by the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) against the Madurai depot branch manager for allegedly inviting a BJP leader and ex-MLA Dr P Saravanan to distribute spectacles to SETC employees at an eye camp by SETC last month.
Justice MS Ramesh passed the order on a petition filed by the branch manager A Abimanyu challenging the suspension order. Abimanyu, in the petition, said the SETC head office conducted the eye camp through ‘Morning Star Charitable Trust and India Vision Institute, Chennai’ at the Madurai SETC depot on May 24.
BJP leader Dr P Saravanan, who is not only a practicing doctor but a committee member and advisor of the Trust, distributed spectacles to the employees in the event as he had sponsored them, he added. But following the allegations raised against him by trade union members that he invited the BJP leader for the SETC function, he was suspended by the SETC Managing Director the subsequent day.
Abimanyu added that immediately after his suspension, the founder and managing trustee of the Trust wrote to SETC clarifying that the camp was conducted as per the permission of the head office and Abimanyu had no role in the eye camp proceedings. Saravanan was invited only in his capacity as an advisor of the Trust, Abimanyu added.
Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2022/jun/18/madras-hc-quashes-suspension-of-state-express-transport-corporation-staff-2466884.html
