I had been employed as a software developer trainee in an IT company. I had signed a service bond on a 100rs stamp paper, which stated that if I left the company within 2 years from the date xx-xx-2016, I would have to pay them 1,00,000rs. However, they did not provide me with an appointment letter that outlined my role, salary, training, and resignation procedure. I was only given a salary of 6000rs per month to my bank account. After working there for 5 months, they began to tell me that I was not worth 6000rs, which hurt me deeply. As such, I left the company by sending a resignation email without any bad remarks. Now, they have sent me a legal notice through a lawyer, demanding that I pay the compensation amount (service bond amount) of 1,00,000. 1. I had only signed a service bond on a 100rs stamp paper (with only 5 lines of statement). 2. No appointment letter was issued. 3. I was only receiving a salary of 6000rs per month to my bank account, with no other benefits. 4. They had orally said that after 3 months they would increase my salary to 12000rs, which is why I had signed the bond. 5. I was from a distant place and had to stay in a PG, making it difficult to live with a salary of 6000rs per month for 2 years. What should I do now? I do not have the money to spend on a lawyer. Can I ignore the lawyer’s notice?
Irrespective of the points 1-5 mentioned, service bonds/agreements are not valid. If you have received any specific training, the cost of such training can only be recovered through the bond, not anything else. The bond cannot be used to keep an employee. As a legal notice has been sent, it is recommended to reply to it without delay through a lawyer. To provide further advice, it is essential to know the content of the resignation letter and the legal notice sent by the company.