CHENNAI: In a significant judgment reinforcing maternity rights, the Madras High Court has directed the additional district munsif judge in Ulundurpettai to grant maternity leave and benefits to a woman employee for her third pregnancy, despite earlier denial on the grounds of policy limitations.
The petitioner, B Ranjitha, a junior assistant at the Ulundurpettai court, had sought maternity leave from August 18, 2025, to August 17, 2026. Her request was rejected on August 19 on the ground that she was seeking leave for her third confinement, which was allegedly not permitted under prevailing norms.
Ranjitha, who joined service on April 1, 2025, had given birth to two children — now aged eight and six — before entering judicial service. She was pregnant for the third time when she joined the court, with delivery expected in September 2025. She argued that denial of maternity benefits solely based on the number of previous children was arbitrary and discriminatory.
Hearing the plea, a bench of justices R Suresh Kumar and Hemant Chandangoudar quashed the rejection order, terming it illegal and unreasonable. The judges observed that the essence of maternity leave is not tied to the number of previous pregnancies but to support women through pre-natal and post-natal phases.
“Such benefits cannot be denied merely because it is the third pregnancy. That would have no logic and would be thoroughly unreasonable,” the court observed.
The court also cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Umadevi vs Government of Tamil Nadu, which upheld maternity benefits in similar circumstances.
Following the ruling, the high court directed the respondent to immediately sanction maternity leave and extend full benefits as per service rules.