As pointed out by Mr.Nathrao, civil remedies exist for such breaches. I have already given the following view in one of earlier threads.The new company having offered you the job and after that if you have communicated acceptance thereof to the employer then that offer cannot be revoked under section 5 of the Contract Act. You can seek damages in civil court against the company for revoking the contract
Since it is settled that general principles of contract are applicable to master and servant relations (vide Shriram Piston and Rings vs TS Mogha case) decided by Delhi HC in 2012 extracted below the breach of contract committed by employer by not allowing prospective employee to join renders him liable for damages under sections 73 and 74 of the contract Act.
Delhi High Court
Shriram Pistons & Rings Ltd. & Anr. vs Shri T.S.Mokha on 25 January, 2012
21. ….observation made by Justice Bhagwati (as his Lordship then was) in the concurring judgment in Executive Committee of Vaish Degree College, Shamli Vs. Lakshmi Narain (Supra) in para 31, which is extracted below :-
"31. ............... The law in such a case, therefore, adopts a more realistic posture and holds that the repudiation effectively terminates the contract and the employee can only claim damages for wrongful breach of the contract.”
If agreement was for specific period, one can recover damages of salary for that period (SS Shetty case decided by the Apex court) or it depends upon relevant statutory enactment e.g. Industrial Disputes Act or Shops and Establishment Act of specific State and terms and conditions of appointment..
Extracts of relevant judgments are given below:
In SS Shetty’s case the Supreme Court held that if the contract of employment was for a specific term, the servant would in that event be entitled to damages, the amount of which would be measured prima facie and subject to the rule of mitigation in the salary of which the master had deprived him and that servant would then be entitled to whole of the salary benefits etc. which he would have earned had he continued in the employment of the master for the full term of the contract, subject of course to mitigation of damages by way of seeking alternative employment. It was held that the position as it obtained in the ordinary law of master and servant was quite clear and that the master, who wrongfully dismissed his servant, was bound to pay him such damages as would compensate him for the wrong that he had sustained.
a) Delhi High Court
S.M. Murray vs Fenner (India) Ltd. on 27 February, 1986: AIR 1986 Delhi 427
“(21) In S.S. Shetty v. Bharat Nidhi Ltd. , the Supreme Court held that if the contract of employment was for a specific term, the servant would in that event be entitled to damages, the amount of which would be measured prima facie and subject to the rule of mitigation in the salary of which the master had deprived him and that servant would then be entitled to whole of the salary benefits etc. which he would have earned had he continued in the employment of the master for the full term of the contract, subject of course to mitigation of damages by way of seeking alternative employment. It was held that the position as it obtained in the ordinary law of master and servant was quite clear and that the master, who wrongfully dismissed his servant, was bound to pay him such damages as would compensate him for the wrong that he had sustained. The Supreme Court referred, with approval, to Chitty on Contracts, 21st Edition, Vol. (2), p. 559, para 1040, and to Collier v. Sunday Referee Publishing Co. Ltd., (1940-4 All. E.R. 234 at p. 237(A)).
(28) In the present case before me, the term of the service agreement was to expire on 16-2-1986. The plaintiff stated that he did not take up any alternative employment though he had been making attempts and no suitable employment was being offered to him. In these circumstances, I am of the view that the plaintiff is entitled to damages calculated in terms of his salary and other perquisites for whole of the period of his employment from the date of wrongful termination of the service agreement, i.e. 21-4-1984, till it was to expire in its normal course, i.e. 16-2-1986. This comes to Rs. 2,56,776.64.”
In public employment, the appellant was paid a lumpsum amount of Rs. 2 lac by the respondent-ISM towards cost of litigation as well as to secure ends of justice as admittedly the appellant was wrongly denied appointment as Registrar, ISM:
b) Delhi High Court
Dr. Samarendra Mohan Mukherjee vs Indian School Of Mines on 20 December, 2007
15. In view of above, we feel that the appellant should be paid a lumpsum amount of Rs. 2 lac by the respondent-ISM towards cost of litigation as well as to secure ends of justice as admittedly the appellant was wrongly denied appointment as Registrar, ISM. This will be also in accord with the Order dated 17th April, 1995 passed by the learned Single Judge that in the interest of justice the appellant would be compensated and granted necessary relief in case he was to succeed in the writ petition. Restricting relief to the difference in pay scales for a period of one year would be unfair and unjust to the appellant. Even if it is presumed that the appellant would have been on probation for a period of two years, it does not necessarily follow that he would not have been confirmed and appointed regularly after the expiry of the probation period. The impugned order passed by the learned Single Judge is accordingly modified and respondent-ISM is directed to pay compensation of Rs. 2 lacs to the appellant. The aforesaid amount will be paid to the appellant within a period of 2 months, failing which the respondent shall be liable to interest @ 10% per annum from the date of this order.
c) The right under section 5 of the Contract Act as extracted below is statutory right:
Section 5 in The Indian Contract Act, 1872
5. Revocation of Proposals and acceptance.—A proposal may be revoked at any time before the communication of its acceptance is complete as against the proposer, but not afterwards. —A proposal may be revoked at any time before the communication of its acceptance is complete as against the proposer, but not afterwards." An acceptance may be revoked at any time before the communication of the acceptance is complete as against the acceptor, but not afterwards….."
According to the apex court statutory right under Section 5 of the Contract Act is conferred. Section 5 says a proposal may be revoked at any time before the communication of its acceptance is complete as against the proposer.
d) Supreme Court of India
State Of Haryana & Ors vs M/S Malik Traders on 17 August, 2011
10…It is true that as per Section 5 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act"), a proposal may be revoked at any time before the communication of its acceptance is complete as against the proposer. It is also true that before receipt of the letter of acceptance dated 26.11.2008, the respondent had sent a letter dated 15.11.2008 withdrawing its offer. However, admittedly, in paragraph 8 of the written offer/bid, the respondent had agreed to keep the bid open for acceptance upto 90 days after the last date of receipt of bid. The respondent had also agreed that it shall be bound by the communication of acceptance of the bid dispatched within the aforesaid period of 90 days. Hence, the respondent could not have withdrawn the bid before the expiry of the period of 90 days. It is not disputed that the acceptance of the respondent's bid was communicated to the respondent within the said period of 90 days. Therefore, the respondent was bound by the said acceptance of the bid, despite its withdrawal by the respondent in the meanwhile…..
Under the cover of the provisions contained in Section 5 of the Act, the respondent cannot escape from the obligations and liabilities under the agreements contained in its offer/bid. The right to withdraw an offer before its acceptance cannot nullify the agreement to suffer any penalty for the withdrawal of the offer against the terms of agreement. A person may have a right to withdraw his offer, but if he has made his offer on a condition that the Bid Security amount can be forfeited in case he withdraws the offer during the period of bid validity, he has no right to claim that the Bid Security should not be forfeited and it should be returned to him. Forfeiture of such Bid Security amount does not, in any way, affect any statutory right under Section 5 of the Act. The Bid Security was given by the respondent and taken by the appellants to ensure that the offer is not withdrawn during the bid validity period of 90 days and a contract comes into existence. Such conditions are included to ensure that only genuine parties make the bids. In the absence of such conditions, persons who do not have the capacity or have no intention of entering into the contract will make bids. The very purpose of such a condition in the offer/bid will be defeated, if forfeiture is not permitted when the offer is withdrawn in violation of the agreement.
e) Supreme Court of India
The Union Of India vs Kishorilal Gupta And Bros on 21 May, 1959: 1959 AIR 1362
“…..though such repudiation ends the liability of the parties to perform the contract, it does not put an end to their liability to pay damages for any breach of the contract. The contract is still in existence for certain purposes.”
As far as query (1), it may be argued on the basis of the following Apex Court decision that salary for three years on account of damages, may be paid by the company. Rest the decision of the court depends upon various other factors:
Supreme Court of India
Kayastha Pathshala, Allahabad ... vs Rajendra Prasad And Anr on 8 December, 1989
Equivalent citations: 1990 AIR 415, 1989 SCR Supl. (2) 450
“In the light of all these facts and circumstances and the authorities to which we have called attention, it seems to us that it would be sufficient if the respondent is given salary for three years on account of damages.”
Thanks
Sushil