The Delhi High Court has directed Punjab & Sind Bank to pay over Rs 2.50 lakh along with interest to a former senior branch manager who risked his life to stop an armed robbery in 1998, reprimanding the state-run lender for dismissing his bravery as routine duty.
Ruling on a petition filed by Surjit Singh, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna held that the bank’s prolonged denial of recognition was an insult to an employee who placed his life in danger to protect institutional assets and customer safety. The court noted that no monetary compensation could fully remedy the injustice faced by an employee forced to wage a decades-long legal fight for an honour he earned through extraordinary valor.
Decades-Long Fight For Entitlements
The dispute originated from an incident on December 28, 1998, when Singh served as the senior manager at the bank’s branch in Roshan Pura, Najafgarh. Under 1991 guidelines issued by the Banking Division of the Union Ministry of Finance’s Department of Economic Affairs, bank staff who actively confront robberies or terrorist assaults are entitled to compensation and accelerated promotions.
Although Singh received a recommendation for an out-of-turn promotion under the central scheme, bank management rejected the measure, maintaining that he had merely carried out his assigned duties. Singh subsequently approached the court to secure his entitlements.
In the ruling delivered on September 10, the court criticised the lender’s persistent indifference, observing that Singh had demonstrated remarkable persistence in standing up to a powerful institution. The court stated that such honour ought to have been granted voluntarily without requiring prolonged litigation.
Confronting Armed Intruders
According to court records, the Roshan Pura branch was classified as a high-risk location and was assigned two armed security guards. At approximately 1:00 p.m. on the day of the incident, five men armed with automatic weapons invaded the premises, held staff and visitors at gunpoint, and attempted to seize Rs 40 lakh stored at the cash counter and inside the branch chest.
Rather than mounting a defence, the two security guards surrendered, yielded their weapons, and gave the intruders unimpeded access to the cash.
The dacoits then surrounded Singh’s cabin. Despite the peril, Singh picked up the telephone to call for external assistance. In response, the assailants shattered the glass of his office enclosure and aimed a revolver directly at him.
Limiting The Heist
Defying the direct threat to his life, Singh pressed the emergency hooter. The loud siren created panic among the robbers, prompting them to abandon the cash counters and bolt toward the exit.
Singh then moved to the doorway and physically obstructed the path of the fleeing men. During the struggle, the robbers dropped the cash bag, scattering bank notes across the floor. Consequently, the gang managed to escape with only Rs 75,000, leaving behind the remainder of the Rs 40 lakh.
Justice Krishna highlighted that Singh could easily have surrendered alongside the guards and fellow employees out of self-preservation. The bench observed that any active resistance carried the severe hazard of lethal retaliation, which might have left his surviving family with nothing more than empty condolences and a posthumous certificate.
Terming the bank’s justification that Singh was merely doing his job an unacceptable trivialisation of valor, the court ordered Punjab & Sind Bank to disburse the compensation of over Rs 2.50 lakh with accrued interest.
