Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 03-08-2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioner: M/S. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL)
  • Respondent: M/S. Daily Wages Labour Union / Dainik Bhogi Mazdoor Sangh & Anr.
  • Special Leave Petitions (SLP): Nos. 25065‑25067/2025, arising from impugned final judgments and orders dated 19‑08‑2025, 26‑08‑2025 and 27‑08‑2025 passed by the High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi.
  • Underlying dispute: A challenge to a common order dated 04‑08‑2022 (WP(L) No.2535 of 2021) which itself challenged the award dated 04‑07‑2014 (Reference No.47 of 2007) issued by the Central Government Industrial Tribunal (CGIT). The CGIT award directed BSNL not to remove the workers and to regularise 110 workers at its Daltonganj, Ranchi unit, with a schedule of regularising 20‑25 persons annually over five years. The award was published on 17‑02‑2015.
  • Subsequent order: An order dated 19‑01‑2023 in LPA 425 of 2022 was issued, the alleged violation of which gave rise to contempt proceedings (Contempt Petition No.928/2025).
  • Execution proceedings: An execution petition is already pending – cited as Execution Case No.01/2021 in the first part of the record and as Execution Case No.11/2001 in the second part. The execution has not been taken up due to pendency of the parent SLP.
  • Intervening applications: Various IA numbers (219051/2025, 89997/2026, etc.) seeking exemptions, permissions to file documents, and interventions were listed but are not substantively discussed in the order.

Final Outcome

1. The Court explicitly states that workmen, either individually or through the Union, cannot “ride two boats at a time.”

2. Contempt proceedings initiated in Contempt Petition No.928/2025 (or No.925/2025 in the second copy) are set aside/dropped because the execution proceedings are already pending.

3. The execution petition shall be expeditiously disposed of on merits, with the executing court retained liberty to proceed in accordance with law.

4. All three Special Leave Petitions (Nos. 25065‑25067/2025) are disposed of.

5. Any pending applications, if any, are also disposed of.

Topics: Legal Proceedings, Labor Relations