Can employer deduct the employee salary for coming late to work?

Can employer deduct the employee salary for coming late to work?

Only if you'd have exceeded your leave balance & mentioned in company's policy.

Agree with Swati.
Your attendance should clearly specify the late mark deduction and also communicated to employees.
E.g
Only Three late marks allowed in a month. For every late coming in excess of the above three shall result in deduction of half day leave or salary in lieu of leave.
In companies these rules are incorporated in their HRIS system. So the employee can see his attendance snapshot of his late marks / deduction, leave etc.

Instances of allowed late coming have got nothing to with deduction for late coming. On principle of 'no work, no pay' wages can be deducted for late reporting for duties.
Shrikant Prabhudesa
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Just like overtime is compensated or paid, late coming is deductible. The working hours are indicated in the appointment letter and they relate to a specified wage. If you do not put in the working hours required and as laid down then it is only right that you are paid for the actual hours put in. If you put in extra hours you are paid for that.