Introduction
In a landmark judgment delivered on June 4, 2025, the Supreme Court of India in Harinagar Sugar Mills Ltd. (Biscuit Division) & Anr. v. State of Maharashtra & Ors. (2025 INSC 801) has provided crucial clarity on the delicate balance between an employer’s constitutional right to conduct business and the State’s obligation to protect worker interests. This decision, authored by Justice Sanjay Karol, not only resolves a complex industrial dispute but also establishes important precedents for administrative law, constitutional interpretation, and industrial relations in India.
The judgment addresses critical questions at the intersection of constitutional freedoms, statutory compliance, and administrative propriety, examining the interplay between Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution (right to carry on a business, etc.) and Section 25-O of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which regulates industrial closures.
The Genesis: When Three Decades of Partnership End
The factual matrix reveals a...
