Domestic Enquiry: Can Employers Start an Investigation a Year After Suspension?

What is the time limit for the submission of findings/reports by the Enquiry Officer? Can an employer initiate the enquiry procedure after one year from the date of suspension? Please clarify.

Time Limit for Disciplinary Proceedings

First, as far as I know, no employment law prescribes any time limit for disciplinary proceedings in totality or stage by stage. Of course, service regulations of any organization may provide for such checks for the sake of expeditious disposal of disciplinary cases.

Second, in such a situation, the employer may defend himself on the plea of gathering sufficient evidence against the suspended employee. It depends. However, if the employee is not paid subsistence allowance at the rates applicable, it will certainly vitiate the entire disciplinary proceedings later in judicial review.

Dear Clarification-Seeker from Delhi,

Your Point: "What is the time limit for the submission of findings/report by the Enquiry Officer? Can any employer start proceedings/procedure of enquiry after one year from the date of suspension? Please clarify."

Kritarth Team of Inquiry Officers offers the following clarifications:

Time Limit for Inquiry Proceedings

As per the Honourable Supreme Court of India, Domestic/Departmental/Managerial Inquiry Proceedings must be concluded/completed within six months as an outer limit. Where it is not possible for the employer to conclude due to certain unavoidable causes arising in the proceedings within the time frame, then efforts should be made to conclude within a reasonably extended period depending upon the cause and the nature of the inquiry but not more than a year.

It is noteworthy that the judgment of our Supreme Court of India is to be treated as law legislated by India's Parliament under Article 141 of the Constitution of India.

Supreme Court Judgment Extract

Kritarth Team of Professional Inquiry Officers and Practitioners deems it our duty to quote the relevant extract of the Supreme Court's above-referred judgment of 16th December 2015 as under:

"...Time and again, this Court has emphasized that it is the duty of the employer to ensure that the departmental inquiry initiated against the delinquent employee is concluded within the shortest possible time by taking priority measures... In cases where the delinquent is placed under suspension during the pendency of such inquiry, then it becomes all the more imperative for the employer to ensure that the inquiry is concluded in the shortest possible time to avoid any delay. It should be concluded within six months as an outer limit."

"Where it is not possible for the employer to conclude due to certain unavoidable causes arising in the proceedings within the time frame, then efforts should be made to conclude within a reasonably extended period depending upon the cause and the nature of the inquiry but not more than a year."

The said guidelines in the aforesaid judgment in respect of Civil Appeal No 958 of 2010 must thus and therefore be followed by every employer, in letter and spirit, faithfully and properly.

Kritarth Team has always adhered to the said order in all Domestic Inquiries for which the employers across India appointed us the Inquiry Officer with yet another advantage that our team conducts the inquiries within the shortest possible time and within the lowest possible cost strictly in accordance with the twin principles of natural justice.

Kritarth Team,
11th August 2018

Dear Kritarth Team,

Thank you for the detailed answer. I have another question: Can inquiry proceedings start against an employee after 1 year of his/her suspension?

Please let me know.

Thank you.

Dear Colleague,

Though no time limit is laid down by law, the E.O. must submit the report of findings within a reasonable period, and ordinarily, 3 months' time can be considered reasonable.

Suspension pending inquiry for a period of one year is, on the face of it, unjust and shows a vindictive attitude or lack of preparedness. If challenged in the labor court, it is very likely to be set aside and reversed.

Regards, Vinayak Nagarkar HR Consultant