Woman charged with absence from duty never appointed to

Agartala, Sep 30 (UNI) The Gauhati High Court has issued notice to Tripura police in connection with a 14-year-old case of employment of a woman as homeguard.

The Agartala Bench of the High Court has issued a notice to the Tripura police to file a reply within six weeks following refusal to induct a woman who had been selected for the homeguard job 14 years ago.

According to the report, Jharna Banik of South Tripura had received a letter from the Homeguard's commandant last year, which referred to section 6(B)(1) of the Bombay Homegurads Act for unauthorised absence from duty for the past 14 years.

The correspondence surprised Ms Banik as she came to that she had been selected for the post in 1992 but did not receive the appointment letter.

She faced the threat of disciplinary action from the appointing authority for unauthorised absence from duty for such a long time-period.

Ms Banik moved the court and with the judge's order, the commandant told her to join the service after filling in the form.

However, soon after, the DGP issued another letter stating that it would not be possible to induct her in the service as per the previous enrolment.

Finally, she moved the High Court and Justice Hirendra Nath Sharma last week expressed his dissatisfaction over the issue and asked the police to file a reply within next six weeks.

Ms Banik, 37, is facing utter poverty, unable to even manage one square meal a day.

''The authorities should rectify the wrongdoing and give the poor woman the job without any further delay,'' Ms Banik's lawyer senior advocate Arun Chandra Bhowmik said.

UNI