The Delhi High Court has directed Wipro to pay Rs 2 lakh to a former employee for including defamatory statements in his relieving letter. The court found that the remarks made in the letter were damaging to the individual’s professional reputation and integrity.
The employee, who worked as a principal consultant at Wipro from March 2018 to June 2020, approached the court after receiving a relieving letter that described his conduct as “malicious” and claimed that he was responsible for an “irreparable breakdown” in the employer-employee relationship. These comments, according to the former employee, not only harmed his reputation but also affected his future employment prospects.
After reviewing the matter, the court concluded that the remarks were unjustified and caused reputational harm and emotional distress. It ruled that Wipro must compensate the individual with Rs 2 lakh in general damages.
In addition to the compensation, the court instructed Wipro to issue a new relieving letter that does not contain any defamatory or damaging language. The original letter will be considered ineffective in regard to the remarks in question. However, the court clarified that the decision to expunge the remarks does not impact the termination itself, which remains unchanged.
This ruling, hence, highlights the importance of fairness and responsibility in employer communications, especially those that can influence an individual’s future career. The case also sets a precedent for how reputational damage in formal documents should be handled legally.