Overview
- The judgment, delivered on February 17, 2026 by Justice N Nagaresh, held that compelling an employee to continue after a proper resignation violates Article 23 of the Constitution.
- Traco Cable Company Limited was directed to formally accept Company Secretary Greevas Job Panakkal’s March 2024 resignation and relieve him within two months.
- The court quashed disciplinary memos and a show-cause notice issued after the writ petitions, finding they appeared aimed at pressuring the employee to stay.
- It clarified narrow grounds to refuse or delay acceptance—notice-period requirements, impulsive resignations later withdrawn, serious pending misconduct cases, or direct financial loss—while rejecting general financial distress as a valid reason.
- The bench noted that a company secretary cannot take a similar post elsewhere until exit filings are made with the Registrar of Companies, underscoring the harm caused by withholding acceptance.