“24. In any event, in the instant cases, it has not been found that the respondent was entitled, before his services were terminated, to receive compensation in terms of the provisions of Section 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act. It was not a case where the services of the respondent could have been terminated only in compliance with the provisions of Section 25-F and on the appellant's failure to do so he had derived a right to continue in service. Furthermore, in Govindaraju [(1986) 3 SCC 273 : 1986 SCC (L&S) 520] there was no case of proved misconduct made out against the workman unlike the present cases. In this case, the appellant's contention that before imposing the punishments upon the respondent, opportunities of hearing had been granted to the workman concerned is not denied or disputed. Imposition of such punishment upon the workmen had not been questioned by them. They accepted the same and, thus, the same attained finality. The history sheets of the respondents clearly show that opportunities after opportunities had been given to them to improve themselves but they did not avail the same. It was in that situation if the services of the respondents were found not satisfactory and they were discontinued in service, no fault can be found with the action of the appellant herein. There is another aspect of the matter which cannot be lost sight of. The High Court of Karnataka had declared the last sentence of sub-regulation (5) of Regulation 10 as invalid. In view of such declaration, the respondent did not forfeit his right for being considered for appointment from the select list subject, of course, to fulfilment of other conditions, if any. The question as to what extent, principles of natural justice are required to be complied with would depend upon the fact situation obtaining in each case. The principles of natural justice cannot be applied in vacuum. They cannot be put in any straitjacket formula. The principles of natural justice are furthermore not required to be complied with when it will lead to an empty formality. What is needed for the employer in a case of this nature is to apply the objective criteria for arriving at the subjective satisfaction. If the criteria required for arriving at an objective satisfaction
