She was the sole breadwinner for her family — supporting a physically handicapped husband and a mentally disabled adult daughter . At 55 years old, she worked full-time at minimum wage, earning $21,000 a year . She had never been disciplined. Her boss, Janif Mohammed, later called her a "wonderful lady" and a "good worker" . They had worked together since 1989 . Then came December 27, 2013. Some dialogue has been recreated based on documented historical accounts. --- Ram finished her shift at the Granville Street Burger King in downtown Vancouver. She had forgotten her wallet . She asked Tayyaba Salman, the manager on duty, in Hindi — her native language — if she could take home some food. "Can I have a fish?" she said . Salman agreed . Ram packed a fish sandwich, an order of fries, and poured herself a drink . The price difference between a sandwich alone and a combo was about $1. After applying the employee discount, the value of the extra fries and drink was about 50 cents . Salman saw Ram pack the food. She made no attempt to conceal it . But Salman later testified she thought Ram had only asked for a sandwich — not the fries and drink . There is no word for "sandwich" in Hindi . Salman waited to see if Ram would pay. When she didn't, Salman reported her . --- On December 30, Ram was called into a meeting with Salman and Mohammed . As soon as Ram entered, Salman started weeping: "Don't put me into trouble — I don't want to be in any mess" . Mohammed accused Ram of theft . Ram burst into tears. She offered to pay for the food . Mohammed refused. He sent her home . Later, he would claim her offer to pay was an admission of theft . Ram was terminated. The exact date is disputed. Ram testified Salman called her on January 9, 2014 and said simply, "You are terminated" . Ram turned to her son and asked what "terminated" meant . --- Ram sued for wrongful dismissal . In B.C. Supreme Court, Justice Lisa Warren examined whether Ram had intended to steal. Warren ruled: "I accept that she believed she was authorized by Ms. Salman to take both the sandwich and the fries, and that she believed it was consistent with the defendant's employee drink policy for her to take a free drink" . Warren concluded there was "no evidence of premeditation or attempted concealment" . She noted Mohammed had "behaved in an unreasonable, unfair and unduly insensitive manner" . He failed to consider Ram's age, poor English, limited education, and the difficulty she would face finding other work . The judge awarded Ram $21,000 — one year's salary — and $25,000 in aggravated damages for emotional distress. Total: $46,000 . This story is based on verified court records and news reports. Dialogue has been recreated from documented testimony. All factual details come from the B.C. Supreme Court judgment and contemporaneous media coverage