T.Sekar v. Union Of India

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 16.12.2025

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI 1 T.SEKAR 2 V.RAMASAMY 3 R.RATHINAM 4 P.JOTHI 5 S.RAMARAO 6 P.SEKAR 7 B.KANAGARAJ 8 S.SYED NOOR 9 A.SUBRAMANIAN 10 V.KRISHNAMOORTHY 11 S.PATTEL 12 S.RANGASAMY 13 G.VAZHUMUNI 14 P.VENKATESAN 15 S.JEEVANANDAM 16 D.GUNASEGARAN 17 T.BALAKRISHNAN 18 N.ELANGOVAN 19 E.ADITHAN 20 K.KARUNAGARAN 21 D.SIVASUBRAMANIAN 22 P.DESIGAN 23 L.MANJUNATH 24 A.ESSAYA ADHI ROUBA 25 S.SELVANATHAN 26 S.SHANMUGAM 27 R.MANI 28 C.RAJARAMAN 29 S.ARUNASALAM 30 P.KANNAN 31 R.COUMARANE 1/9

32 R.DAYALAN 33 D.RAJARAM 34 J.SOUNDARRAJAN 35 N.LAKSHMIKANDAN 36 S.GOVINDARAJALU 37 I.BASHEER AHAMED 38 B.NARAYANASAMY 39 A.RAJENDIRAN 40 G.PERUMAL 41 R.SENTHAMARAI KANNAN 42 G.DEVARAJU 43 R.ILANGO 44 K.SANIRA SEGARAN 45 J.KUMAR 46 N.SAMBATH KUMAR 47 V.BALASUBRAMANIAN 48 M.SAKTHI VELU MARGO 49 S.ALAGAPPAN 50 P.SANKAR 51 K.GNANASEGARAN 52 N.MADANAGOPAL 53 M.SALATHAIAN 54 R.RAVICHANDIRAN 55 K.GOPAL 56 E.PUGAJENDY 57 T.VIJAYA 58 D.GOVINDASAMY 59 A.BOOPALAN 60 L.RAJABOOMANI 61 C.ANNE REIO FERNANDEZ 62 N.JAYANTHI 63 D.T PALANIAPPAN 64 S.ILANGO 65 S.ARUL SELVAM 66 A.AMUTHAVANAN 67 A.VASANTHI 68 D.KANAGASABAI 69 K.SUBURAYAN 70 R.MANICKAM 71 K.SANDANASAMY 2/9

72 V.SEGAR 73 T.AMIRTHALINGAM 74 S.SARAVANAN 75 H.MUTHUKRISHNAN 76 P.GANESAN@VINAYAGAM 77 K.SANKAR 78 P.VENKATESAN 79 D.GNANASEKARAN 80 K.KUPPUSAMY 81 V.MOHAN RAJ 82 S.CHARLES 83 A.AROCKIADOSS 84 S.RAJENDIRAN 85 S.GANAPATHY 86 S.KALIVARADHAN 87 S.SIVASHANMUGAM 88 K.NETHAJI SUBASH CHANDRA 89 T.SURENDIRAN 90 A.PANNEER SELVAM 91 S.CHINNATHAMBI 92 K.SUNDAR 93 K.ASSOGAN 94 V.SATHIYAMOORTHY 95 R.GUGARAJ 96 V.NATESAN 97 K.KANNAN 98 K.BALASUBRAMANIAN 99 M.RAJAVELU 100 P.KUMAR 101 K.PANEERSELVAM 102 V.PREMKUMAR SELVA 103 M.GNANASEKARAN 104 K.DJEAMOURTHY 105 V.CHIDAMBARAM 106 S.SIVAKUMAR 107 R.KESAVAN 108 R.ILANGO 109 A.BALACHANDIRAN 110 P.SAKTHIVEL 111 K.LAKSHMANASAMY 3/9

112 M.MARIAPPAN 113 M.SENGALVARAYAN 114 G.POUVENDAN 115 K.JEEVARATHINAM 116 A.CHANDRASEKARAN 117 P.IYYANARAPPAN 118 L.GAJENDIRAN 119 K.DANASU 120 S.RAMACHANDIRAN 121 S.JAYARAMAN 122 V.SANJIVI 123 M.AROKIADOSS 124 D.SELVAGANAPATHY 125 V.SAROJA 126 K.MATHIVANAN 127 Y.SUUVANIAPPAN ... Petitioners Vs.

1 UNION OF INDIA REPRESENTED BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY GOVERNMENT OF PUDUCHERRY PUDUCHERRY 2 THE UNDER SECRETARY (IND. AND COM.) DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT (INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE) CHIEF SECRETARIAT GOVERNMENT OF PUDUCHERRY PUDUCHERRY 3 THE MANAGING DIRECTOR ANGLO FRENCH TEXTILES UNIT OF PUDUCHERRY TEXTILE CORPORATION LIMITED, MUDALIARPET, PUDUCHERRY 4 THE CONTROLLING AUTHORITY UNDER THE PAYMENT OF GRATUITY ACT, LABOUR DEPARTMENT, GANDHI NAGAR, PUDUCHERRY ... Respondents 4/9

Prayer:

Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents 1 to 3 to extend uniform interest at 15% per annum on the delayed payment of gratuity to all petitioners by disbursing the differential 5% compound interest.

For Petitioner : Mr.R.Saravanan For Respondents : Mrs.Saradha Vivek Additional Government Pleader (P)

O R D E R

By consent, the writ petition is taken up for final disposal at the admission stage itself.

2.The petitioners have filed this writ petition seeking issuance of Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents 1 to 3 to extend uniform interest at 15% per annum on the delayed payment of gratuity to all petitioners by disbursing the differential 5% compound interest.

3.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted 5/9

that the petitioners are the workmen of Anglo French Textiles/ third respondent and the third respondent suffered loss during 2000 and G.O.Ms.17/2012-Ind-B dated 02.01.2013 was issued implementing the 'Anglo-French Textiles of Pondicherry Textiles Corporation Limited - New VRS, 2012' and since the situation did not improve, notice under Section 25-O(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 was issued on 21.01.2020 and the mills were formally closed with effect from 01.05.2020 and during this process, many workmen attained superannuation and several opted for VRS and due to severe financial constraints, the third respondent could not settle the gratuity dues in time.

4.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners further submitted that some of the workmen approached the Controlling Authority under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 and obtained orders directing payment of gratuity and a certificate under Section 8 of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. Thereafter, the third respondent disbursed gratuity dues with 10% simple interest for belated payment and an additional 5% compound interest to those workmen who obtained orders from the Controlling Authority and to the remaining 6/9

workmen/ petitioners, the third respondent disbursed gratuity dues with 10% simple interest for belated payment and aggrieved by the same, the union/ Panjalai Thozhir Sanga Congress made various representations to the respondents seeking to grant the additional 5% compound interest for belated payment of Gratuity to the petitioners and the last of such representation was made on 11.10.2023, however, there is no response and hence the union made representation dated 01.09.2025 to the fourth respondent, however, the fourth respondent returned the said representation. Hence, this Court may without going into the merits of the case, issue direction to the respondents 1 to 3 to consider the representation made by the union on behalf of the petitioners dated 11.10.2023 and to pass appropriate orders, within a reasonable time frame. 5.

Considering the limited relief now sought for by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners, this Court, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, directs the respondents 1 to 3 to consider the representation made by the union on behalf of the petitioners dated 11.10.2023, on merits and in accordance with law and to pass appropriate orders, as expeditiously as possible.

6.The writ petition is disposed of. No costs. 16.12.2025 pri Index: Yes/ No Speaking Order: Yes/ No NCC: Yes/ No To 1 UNION OF INDIA REPRESENTED BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY GOVERNMENT OF PUDUCHERRY PUDUCHERRY 2 THE UNDER SECRETARY (IND. AND COM.) DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT (INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE) CHIEF SECRETARIAT GOVERNMENT OF PUDUCHERRY PUDUCHERRY 3 THE MANAGING DIRECTOR ANGLO FRENCH TEXTILES UNIT OF PUDUCHERRY TEXTILE CORPORATION LIMITED, MUDALIARPET, PUDUCHERRY 4 THE CONTROLLING AUTHORITY UNDER THE PAYMENT OF GRATUITY ACT, LABOUR DEPARTMENT, GANDHI NAGAR, PUDUCHERRY 8/9

M.DHANDAPANI,J.

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