Few questions emerge from your post. These are as below:
a) Do you have a policy on "Allotment of Company Assets to Employees" well in place? It appears it is not. Otherwise, you would not have come up with this query. First, you need to make this policy. You may refer to the following post to make this policy:
https://www.citehr.com/336602-policy...ny-assets.html
b) If the company allotted some assets to the employees, then are these recorded in the "Fixed Asset Register" (FAR)? If you do not have this register, then you need to prepare it. You may click the following link to know how to make FAR:
https://www.citehr.com/452041-compan...-register.html
c) Whether you have a policy on the allotment of company assets or not, whether you have FAR or not, during the separation of the employee from the organization, why was the recovery process not raised? Why was this employee given clearance from Stores or by the Admin Department?
d) By the way, do you have adequate evidence of the allotment of a laptop to the employee? Did the employee sign the loan card? Do you have evidence stating that the laptop was returned in a damaged condition? If yes, then you may conduct a domestic enquiry for the damage to the company assets. After depreciation, the residual value may be recovered from the employee.
If the employee is already separated, and if all his dues are cleared, then possibly he may not depose before the enquiry. Under such circumstances, you need to conduct the second domestic enquiry and find out whose lapse it was to allow the employee to go scot-free. Suitable punishment may be awarded to this manager/employee. Further, obtain the condemnation certificate from the competent authority and declare the assets as obsolete.
Last comments: Damage to the laptop is not a matter of "indiscipline" as such. This is an admin issue and it needs to be handled accordingly. It becomes a matter of discipline provided the concerned employee refused to pay the damage charges or the employee who cleared him without the proper recovery process.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar