Under Common Law a genuine pre-estimate of damages by mutual agreement was regarded as a stipulation for liquidated damages………………………………………….. the essence of liquidated damages is a genuine covenanted pre-estimate of damages…………………….
Liquidated damages must be the result of a genuine pre-estimate of damages and they do not include a sum fixed in terrorem……………………………………….
If liquidated damages were stated/arrived at for expenses to be incurred by company for training, but if no training was provided the liquidated damages should cease to be payable…………….
The language stated in the bond should be carefully studied by a trained legal eye and merits be examined by a trained legal mind.
Company shall claim that you had signed by your free will.
If bond was created due to some training to be provided (training that shall provide some exceptional skills, or shall add to qualification of the employee) for which employer was to incur heavy expenses, and if it is stated in the language of the bond, but no such training was provided, the bond should be declared void.
The training about products, processes, policies,, strategies of the company so that employee can perform the task for which he has been selected, should be provided by employer without any cost to employee.
HR is not your employer. It is another employee in company.
Your representation should be preferably addressed to the appointing authority, MD, Chairman, Company Secretary, and the designated official of the company who has signed on the bond on behalf of the company.
In such matters the representations should be carefully structured and drafted to become a written record in times to come and should be submitted in writing under proper acknowledgment preferably by redg. post. Speed post/courier may be avoided.
What action shall be taken by your company is not possible top forecast e.g; It may take a stand that it has suffered legal injury…………
However you can build your defense and favorable written record.
a stipulation in contract in ierrorem is a penalty and the Court refuses to enforce it, awarding to the aggrieved party only reasonable compensation………………….
Section 74 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 does not dispense with the basic condition of the breach resulting in any loss or damage which can be called "legal injury".
The party complaining of breach of contract and claiming compensation is entitled to succeed only on proof of "legal injury" having been sustained on account of such breach.
…reasonable compensation can be granted even in a case where extent of actual loss or damage is incapable of proof or not proved. Thus, Section 74 deliberately states that what is to be awarded is a reasonable compensation. In a case where the party complaining has not suftered legal injury in the sense of sustaining loss or damage, there is nothing to compensate him, for there is nothing to recompensate, satisfy or make amends. Therefore, he will not be entitled to compensation.(23)
The question whether the employer can recover the amount specified in the contract by way of iquidated damages without proving that there had been "legal injury" has been answered in some decided case. In Fateh Chand Vs Balkishan Das (22), the Supreme Court of India has held that Section 74 of the Indian Contract Act undoubtedly says that the aggrieved party is entitled to receive compensation from the party who has broken the contract, whether or not actual damage or loss is proved to have been caused by the breach. Thereby it merely dispenses with proof of "actual loss or damage". however it does not justify the award of compensation when in consequence of the breach no legal injury at all has resulted, because compensation for breach of contract can be awarded to make good loss or damage which naturally arose in the usual course of things. or which the parties knew when they made the contract, to be likely to result from the breach.
Hence, along with elders in the family, show the docs to a competent and experienced labor consultant/service lawyer, give inputs in person, spend quality time with your lawyer and let your representations be structured by your lawyer, and matter be put up on “Shut Up Mode” Now.