. It is true that no work no pay is a principle which is apposite in circumstances where the employee does not work but it is not an absolute principle, which does not admit of exceptions. In this regard we may notice that in one of the judgments relied upon by the respondents, namely, State of Kerala v. E.K. Bhaskaran Pillai 2007 (6) SCC 524 which, in fact, dealt with issue as to monetary benefits when retrospective promotion is given, this Court held:
“… So far as the situation with regard to monetary benefits with retrospective promotion is concerned, that depends upon case to case. There are various facets which have to be considered. Sometimes in a case of departmental enquiry or in criminal case it depends on the authorities to grant full back wages or 50 per cent of back wages looking to the nature of delinquency involved in the matter or in criminal cases where the incumbent has been acquitted by giving benefit of doubt or full acquittal. Sometimes in the matter when the person is superseded and he has challenged the same before court or tribunal and he succeeds in that and direction is given for reconsideration of his case from the date persons junior to him were appointed, in that case the court may grant sometimes full benefits with retrospective effect and sometimes it may not. Particularly when the administration has wrongly denied his due then in that case he should be given full benefits including monetary benefit subject to there being any change in law or some other supervening factors. However, it is very difficult to set down any hard-and-fast rule. The principle “no work no pay” cannot be accepted as a rule of thumb. There are exceptions where courts have granted monetary benefits also.”
