Non-Payment of Salary for Work Done Amounts to Exploitation: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has ruled that withholding an employee's salary after taking work from them violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and constitutes exploitation.

The Court noted that the State cannot deny legitimate dues on "hyper-technical grounds" or take advantage of its own administrative inaction.

The case involved a clerk appointed through a transparent process in anticipation of post-sanctioning. Although the formal sanction remained pending for decades despite reminders, the Court held the appointment was "irregular" but not "illegal."

Directing the State to pay salary and arrears within three months, emphasizing that absence of formal approval cannot justify unpaid labor.

[Sanjay Kumar v. State of Uttar Pradesh]