In an unusual order, the Madras High Court has imposed costs of ₹5,000 on Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) for filing an appeal with a delay of 498 days and ordered that the money should be recovered from the salary of the officer who was responsible for the delay.
Justice S. Vaidyanathan has ordered that the information regarding deduction made from the salary of the officer concerned should be communicated to the Registrar- General of the High Court.
The Judge also ordered that an affidavit to that effect should be filed during the next hearing of the appeal.
“This court is of the view that in cases of similar nature, heavy costs need to be imposed with stringent conditions. Accordingly, the delay of 498 days in filing the appeal is condoned subject to payment of costs of ₹5,000 by the ESI Corporation to the workman against whom the case had been filed within four weeks,” the order said.
