Listening to commentary at work? Your job is at stake

New Delhi: The next time you are caught listening to cricket commentary on the radio at your workplace, you may lose your precious job. The Supreme Court has upheld the 1989 sacking of a railway constable found listening to his radio during his duty. A bench headed by Justice D. K. Jain rejected the argument of the employee C. Sai Babu that his termination from service was 'shockingly disproportionate' as he was subjected to extreme punishment for merely listening to cricket commentary, reports PTI.

Counsel for the constable Satish tried to argue that there was nothing wrong if an employee listened to cricket commentary as India was a cricket crazy nation. He claimed that even advocates and judges listen to cricket commentary or watch the match live on TV. He claimed that Babu was dismissed on trumped up charges as his wife had filed a case of outraging the modesty against a sub-inspector of the Railway Protection Force.

However, the apex court was not impressed with the argument and noted that perusual of records clearly revealed that Babu habitually shirked of work and instigated his wife to file a false case of outraging the modesty against a superior officer.