The man, identified as A.K. Verma, last showed up for work in December 1990, was only fired a few days ago

Jan 9, 2015 14:54 GMT  ·  By

Just days ago, a man in India was finally fired after taking a 24-year leave. That's right, word has it that this man last reported for work in December 1990. He has since not once visited his office, but for some reason, he continued to cash his salary.

Not to play Captain Obvious, but it must be said this is one stunt you really should not try to pull, as chances are that your boss will not be as understanding. Simply put, it will surely be a cryogenic day in hell before you managed to land yourself a years-long leave.

Possibly the longest leave anyone could ever dream of

In a statement issued this past Thursday, high officials in India identify the man as one A.K. Verma. Apparently, it was well over two decades ago that the man landed a job as an executive engineer with the country's Central Public Works Department.

One day in December 1990, he woke up, put on his slippers, walked over to his mirror, and having stared at himself for a while, he decided that he was meant for greater things than spend the better part of his life stuck in an office with people he didn't even like. So he just stopped going to work.

OK, maybe the part about how he did some soul-searching bright and early in the morning before deciding to go on leave isn't exactly accurate. Still, this does not change the fact that, for 24 years after this life-changing December, the guy simply refused to ever again even visit his office.

A couple of years later, in 1992, he was found guilty of knowingly and willingly failing to report for duty. However, it took another 22 years after the 1992 inquiry and verdict for the man to be actually removed from his post. Until this happened, he continued to cash his salary on a monthly basis.

“He went on seeking extension of leave, which was not sanctioned, and defied directions to report to work,” reads the statement concerning this most bizarre case that the Indian government issued this Thursday, as cited by Metro.

How the heck does one take a 24-year leave?

It is understood that this man managed to take a 24-year leave and get away because, under India's current labor laws, it's downright impossible to sack people for any reason other than criminal misconduct. Simply put, Indian civil service jobs are pretty much for life.

Because of this, it appears that there are plenty of Indian civil service employees who, rather than do their job, take hours-long lunches and even go play golf or some other sports when they should be working. Besides, it often happens for civil service employees in India to arrive late for work.

For the time being, it is unclear whether or not, now that he is finally without the job that he actually stopped doing in December 1990, the man will be made to return the money that he continued to receive this entire time. All things considered, it's safe to assume that this will not happen.