The Delhi High Court has ordered Kanhaiya Lal, a guard at Rajghat, to offer prayers for one month for lying to the court.
The court on Monday ordered Kanhaiya Lal to “seek atonement for committing the sin of being untruthful to the court of law“. Lal had challenged his “illegal“ dismissal from service and, on March 3, told the court he was appointed by the Samadhi Committee in 1990 and was dismissed illegally in 1999.
The committee said Lal had joined only in 1997 and was not entitled to any regularisation.
Keen to know who was lying, Justice Kailash Gambhir asked both parties to bring proof in support of their claim on March 26 (last Friday). On Friday, Lal admitted he was lying. He confessed having joined only in 1997 and pleaded for leniency.
Justice Gambhir said Lal was guilty of perjury (lying before a court) that attracts a maximum term of 3 years in jail.
“By falsely claiming employment from 1990 to 1999, he has not only committed perjury but in fact committed a greater sin despite being the sentinel of Bapuji who never compromised on his cherished ideals of truthfulness. Sad he could not imbibe even a little bit of it“.
But the court invoked a Gandhian principle to grant him mercy, finding he had been removed “without due process of law“ after he had been on duty for more than 240 days. He's been given a compensation of Rs 35,000 provided he complies with the court's directions. He is to report to secretary of the Rajghat committee from Tuesday for a month.
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