Private WhatsApp messages not public criticism: HP HC

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the reinstatement of a contract-based conductor of the HRTC, holding that a private conversation on WhatsApp cannot be treated as public criticism and that employees have a right to air their grievances and vent their frustration.

The court quashed Himachal Road Transport Corporation’s (HRTC) October 10, 2023 order terminating the services of conductor Sunil Kumar, who was appointed on a contract basis in 2021.