Disposed¶34

M.Natarajan -D16069 v. The Managing Director

Madras HC21 Jan 2026WP/927/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Interest on belated terminal benefits; Provident Fund; Service Gratuity; Leave Salary; Commutation of Pension; 6% per annum; eight weeks; Writ of Mandamus; Article 226 Constitution of India; Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Ltd.; Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Employees Pension Fund Trust; W.P.No.25610 of 2024 (03.09.2024) applied; W.P. No.30766 of 2024 (23.10.2024) referred; consent; final disposal at admission stage; petitioner M.Natarajan; counsel N.Ishak and A.Vinothraj; Madras High Court; Justice M. Dhandapani; disposed without costs.

What did the court decide?

Direction to the respondents to pay interest at 6% p.a. for the belated payment of Provident Fund, Service Gratuity, Leave Salary and Commutation of Pension amount to the petitioner within eight (8) weeks from receipt of a copy of the order; no order as to costs.

M.Natarajan -D16069 Vs The Managing Director — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶34

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner, whose terminal benefits (Provident Fund, Service Gratuity, Leave Salary and Commutation of Pension) were paid belatedly, is entitled to interest at 6% per annum for the delay caused by the respondents.

¶23

Court's answer

The decision of the Coordinate Bench in W.P.No.25610 of 2024 (dated 03.09.2024) is squarely applicable to the facts of the present case, and its ratio is applied.

¶34

Ratio / Principle

The respondents are directed to pay interest at 6% p.a. for the belated payment of Provident Fund, Service Gratuity, Leave Salary and Commutation of Pension amount to the petitioner within eight (8) weeks from receipt of a copy of the order; there shall be no order as to costs.

¶34

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Madras High Court (M. Dhandapani, J.), WP No. 927 of 2026, decided 21-01-2026 — Belated payment of terminal benefits — Interest — Petitioner M.Natarajan sought a Writ of Mandamus under Article 226 of the Constitution of India directing the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Ltd. (Managing Director and Senior Deputy Manager (HRD)) and the Administrator, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Employees Pension Fund Trust, to pay interest at 6% per annum on belatedly paid Provident Fund, Service Gratuity, Leave Salary and Commutation of Pension. With consent of counsel on either side the petition was taken up for final disposal at the admission stage. Applying the ratio of the coordinate-bench order in W.P.No.25610 of 2024 (03.09.2024), which the Court found 'squarely applicable' to the facts, the writ petition stood disposed of with a direction to the respondents to pay interest at 6% p.a. within eight (8) weeks from receipt of a copy of the order; no order as to costs.

¶1

WP No. 927 of 2026

¶2

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

¶3

DATED: 21-01-2026

¶4

CORAM

¶5

THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI

¶6

WP No. 927 of 2026

M.Natarajan

..Petitioner(s)

The Managing Director, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Ltd., Pallavan House,

¶11

Anna Salai, Chennai-600 002.

¶12

The Senior Deputy Manager (HRD), Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Ltd.,

¶13

Pallavan House, Anna Salai, Chennai-600 002.

¶14

The Administrator, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Employees Pension Fund Trust, Thiruvalluvar House, Pallavan Salai, Chennai – 600 002.

¶15

..Respondent(s)

¶16

Prayer: This writ petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to pay interest amounts to the Petitioner for the belatedly paid Provident Fund, Service Gratuity, Leave Salary and Commutation of Pension amount at the rate of 6% per annum for 17 months of delayed payment in the light of the judgment passed by this Hon’ble Court on 23.10.2024 in W.P. No.30766 of 2024.

¶17

For Petitioner(s) : M/s. N.Ishak

¶18

__________Page 1 of 4

¶19

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

¶20

WP No. 927 of 2026

¶21

For Respondent(s) : Mr.A.Vinothraj

¶22

ORDER

¶23

Aggrieved by the belated payment of terminal benefits such as Provident Fund, Service Gratuity, Leave Salary and Commutation of Pension amount, the petitioner has come up with this Writ petition seeking interest at the rate of 6% per annum, for the said delay caused on the part of the respondents.

¶24

In view of the consent expressed by the learned counsel on either side,

¶25

this Writ petition is taken up for final disposal at the admission stage itself.

¶26

When the matter is taken up for hearing, the learned counsel for the petitioner brought to the notice of this Court, the order passed by the Coordinate Bench of this Court in a similar matter in W.P.No.25610 of 2024 dated 03.09.2024, wherein this Court had directed the respondent to pay interest at the rate of 6% p.a. for the belated payment of terminal benefits to the petitioner therein within a period of six (6) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of the order.

¶27

Learned counsel appearing for the respondents did not dispute the above submission made by the learned counsel for the petitioner.

¶28

__________Page 2 of 4

¶29

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

¶30

WP No. 927 of 2026

¶31

This Court perused the order passed in W.P.No.25610 of 2024,

¶32

wherein, this Court has held as under :-

¶33

“5.Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case and the grievance expressed by the petitioner, there shall be a direction to the respondent to pay interest at the rate of 6% p.a. for the belated payment of terminal benefits to the petitioner within a period of six (6) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. It is made clear that if the amount is not paid within the time frame fixed by this Court, it will fetch interest at the rate of 12% p.a. from the date on which the amount became due and payable till the date of actual realisation.”

¶34

The aforesaid decision is squarely applicable to the facts of the present case. Accordingly, applying the ratio laid down in the above case, this Writ petition stands disposed of with a direction to the respondents to pay interest at the rate of 6% p.a. for the belated payment of Provident Fund, Service Gratuity, Leave Salary and Commutation of Pension amount to the petitioner within a period of eight (8) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. There shall be no order as to costs.

¶35

21-01-2026

¶36

Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes/No

¶37

¶38

__________Page 3 of 4

¶39

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

¶40

WP No. 927 of 2026

¶41