law: Maternity Benefit Act,1961 
  12. Dismissal during absence of pregnancy 
  (1) When a woman absents herself from work in accordance with
  
  the provisions of this Act, it shall be unlawful for her employer to discharge
  
  or dismiss her during or on account of such absence or to give notice of
  
  discharge or dismissal on such a day that the notice will expire during such
  
  absence, or to vary to her disadvantage any of the conditions of her service.
  (2) (a) The discharge or dismissal of a woman at any time during
  
  her pregnancy, if the woman but for such discharge or dismissal would have been
  
  entitled to maternity benefit or medical bonus referred to in section 8, shall
  
  not have the effect of depriving her of the maternity benefit or medical bonus:
  
  
  PROVIDED  that where the dismissal is for any prescribed
  
  gross misconduct, the employer may, by order in writing communicated to the
  
  woman, deprive her of the maternity benefit or medical bonus or both.
   4  [(b) Any woman deprived of maternity benefit or medical
  
  bonus, or both, or discharged or dismissed during or on account of her absence
  
  from work in accordance with the provisions of this Act, may, within sixty days
  
  from the date on which order of such deprivation or discharge or dismissal is
  
  communicated to her, appeal to such authority as may be prescribed, and the
  
  decision of that authority on such appeal, whether the woman should or should
  
  not be deprived of maternity benefit or medical bonus, or both, or discharged
  
  or dismissed shall be final.]
  (c) Nothing contained in this sub-section shall effect the
  
  provisions contained in sub-section (1).