Holding

The order of discharge is set aside as it constitutes punishment without the requisite enquiry under Article 311(2).

Summary

Anoop Jaiswal, a probationary officer of the Indian Police Service, was discharged by the Government of India after being deemed a ring‑leader responsible for a 22‑minute delay during a training exercise on 22 June 1981. The Director of the National Police Academy recommended discharge without conducting an enquiry, and the Government issued an order under Rule 12(b) of the IPS Probation Rules. Jaiswal challenged the order under Articles 311(2), 226 and 14 of the Constitution; the Delhi High Court dismissed his petition at the admission stage. The Supreme Court held that the order, though couched as a mere termination, was in reality a punishment for alleged misconduct and therefore required a disciplinary enquiry as mandated by Article 311(2). Since no such enquiry was held, the order was set aside, and Jaiswal was reinstated with full rank, seniority, salary and allowances.

Issues considered

Whether the order of discharge amounts to a punishment requiring compliance with Article 311(2) of the Constitution.
Whether an enquiry as prescribed under Article 311(2) and the relevant service rules was necessary before discharging a probationary officer.
Whether the form of the order (termination of service) can conceal a punitive action.

Legislation cited

Constitution of Indias. 136, s. 14, s. 226, s. 311(2)
Indian Police Service (Probation) Rules, 1954s. Rule 12(b)

Subjects

Article 311disciplinary enquirypunishmentgovernment serviceprobationary officerdischargeconstitutional lawdue process

Judgment

453 A
t
ANOOP JAISWAL
v.

... GOVERNMENT OF INDIA & ANR .
Jani;pry 24, 1984 · B
I
{ E. S. VBNKATARAMIAR AND R . B. MISRA, .JJ)

Constitution of India-Art. 311 (2)-.-Applicability of. Protectton . under Art.
311 (2) available if the order of dischcirge is JOund to be by ·way of .1untshment.
To. see whether an "order of discharge is,by way of pllnishment,form oftheorde;ti
irot decisil'~. Court must g~ behilid the form and ascertain the tru~ character of
c
the order.

The appellant who had been selected for appOintment in the"' Indian Police
Service was undergoing training'lfis probationer in the National __ Police Ac~demy.
On June 22, 1981 due. to rain the appellant as well .other probationers reached
late by a few minutes 3.t the _·changed venue for· conducting :P. T. For this delay
explantion was cal.led from all the probationers. In his explanation the appellant
D
sincerely regretted the lapse. The ap~~lant was" considered to be·one of- the
ring-leaders. ~who was res~onsible for the delay. The Director of ~the Ac3.derny
wiihout holding ·an enquiry into the alleged misconduct recommended to the
Government that the appellant should be discharged from service. On the basis
of that iecommendation the- Government by its order dated November Q, 1981
discharged the appellant from service. The Government rejeCted· the appellant's
repiesent~tion against the order discharging him. The appellant ·challenged the
E
vaiidity of the ·order under Aft. 226 of the Constitution. The High Court

- ' i~ dismissed the petiti0n at the·admis.sion sta_gc. Hence this appeal. The appeUa~t
contend.ed that the order discharging him wa~ in reality an' order terminating "his
services on the ground of rilisconduct and f'S415uch could ·not ·have been passed
without Holding an enquiry as contemplated under Art 311 (2) of the Constitution
and. the relevant rules governing such an enquiry.
' .
F
Allowing the appeal ..

• HELD : The impllgned order of discharge is set aside .

Where ·uie form of the order i_s mere_Iy a cam<;iufiage for an order of dismissal
for misco_nduct ~t is always _open to the Court before which the order js challenged
to go behind the fo~ and_ascertain t_he true character of the order.. If the Court G
. holds. t~at the .order -though in_ the_ form is merely a determination of employ~
ment is in reality a cloak for an order of punishment, the Court ·would not be
debarred, merely b~ause of the form·of the order, in giving effect to the rights'
<Wnferred by law upon the employee. [563 E-F]

Parshotam Lai Dhingra v. Union of India, [1958] · S. C. R. 828; Shl/msher ff
.Singh & Anr. v. State oj'Punjab, [1975] I S. C, R. 814; State of Punjab & Anr.
454 . SUPREME COURT REPORTS f!984] 2 S.C.R ..
. . .

A v. Shri Silkh Raj Bahadur, · (1969] 3 S.C.C:. 603;· Stale of Bihar & Ors. 'v. ·Shiva
.· Bhikshuk Mishra, (1971] 2 S. C.R. 191; R.S. Sia/ v . .The.State of U. p, & Ors.,
. [197.4p S. C. R. 754; State .of U.P. v; Ram Chandra· Trivedi, [1977] 1 ·s. C. R ..
462; and I. N. Sakseno v. State of Madhya Pradesh; [1967] 2 S. C. R. 496;.
referred to. · , .

In the instarit case, on. gOing· through the rccQrd· ·and taking. intojaccount
B all the attendant 'circumstances the Court, "is_ satisfied that the __alleged l'ct of mis-.
condl.!:ct On JunC 22, 1981 Was· t.he : real f0und-ation for the· action taken. against
the aPPellant.-:lnd _that the othei- iristances stated .in the· course of the co~nter ''
affl.9.avit ~re mere allegations which ar~ put forward orily for purposes of 1
strengtti~ning the· defcllce which ·is otheiwise ve'rY weak.· The case is one which
attracted ArtiC1e··311 (2) of ·the.Constitution ·as ··the. iffipug·nCd order amounts tp
a tefmination of se.rvice by. way Of punish1nent anct·an eilquiry should have been -~\
c held in accordariCe with-the -said· Constitutional provision. That admittt:dlY.
havirtg hot ~~n·.d.one, tfie .imp~gned. o.rd_er is liable. to _be Struck dowq. ,[4~5 B·C]

. . ·. .
C1VIL APPELLATE Jrni.iS;ICTION : Civil Appeal No. 3040 of 1982.
.
Appoal by Spo.cia] leave from the Judgtnent and Order dated
.•....·

D the 30th August, 1982 of the Delhi High Court in Writ Petition No.
1580 of l 982j. · . ·

K.N. Bbatt for the Appellant. . .....
•
M.S. Gujra/ and G.S. Narain for the Respondent .
.E
.The Judgment of the Court was delivered by :

. VENKATARAMIAH, J. June 22, 1981 was really a bad day f°' the
. app~llant A1ioop Jaiswa·J w))n having .. been selecied by the Union
Public Service Commission for· appointment in the Indian Police·
Service was. undergoing training as a proba.tioner at the Sardar Valla-
bhbhai Patel National Police· Academy, Hyderabad alongwitk ofoer
probationers, On that day all the probatio.riers were expected to. be
present at 5.50 A.M. at the field where the ceremonial ilrill practice •
was to be conducted.· Sinceit ~as raining at that time it appears thar
the. venue was shifted to the Gymnasium .Hall wtete it was proposed. ·
G to cond.uct P.T./unartned combat practice. and intimation was sent
ta· the .trainees at the: Mess. When .the Assistant Director (Outdoor . ,
Trai~ing) reached the Gymnasium at S.50 A.M. none of the pr~ba:
tion.ers had ·.reached there. They ali reached the place 22 minutes ·
late i.e. by 6.15 A.M. when the rains had abated a~d the parade c~m~
H menced at 6.15 A.M .. It appears that earlier when a.messenger sent .
by the Assistant Director had gone to rnll the probationers tl1ey had

•.
ANOOP. JA!SWAL v. oovr: OF INDIA (Venkataramiah J.) . 455

asked for a vehicle to ·go to tile place as it ·was. r~ining. This ,delay . A
was considered as an inddent which called for an enquiry. · Explapa-
.+ tion was· called from all 'the probationers. The appellant was coy- ·
sidered to be one of the ring leaders who:was responsible for the delay. •
When t.he appellant was asked lfbout ihe incident, he gave his explana,
t1on to the Director of the National Police Academy which read thus:
B

J, · The .Director,
National Police Academy,
•
Hyd.erabad.
c
Dear Sir,
. fn reply to your Momo. dated 22nd June,.1981 I.humbly
s~bmit that as for iny being late in P,T. by IO mts,, I sincerely
regret the lapse: But the ·second charge that I instigated
oihe~s to do 'so is totally baseless and without a single iota ·~

of truth. .I request you .Sir to make a thorough enquiry fo~o. 'j)
such an allegation. I never had ·nor have such plebian .
mentallv.
J
· ••
.

· Thanking you,
Yours'·sincerely,
sd/- . E
Anoop Jaiswal'~
.·• ..
It would appear·that .the Director without holding· an enquiry
\ into the alleged misconduct recommended to the. Qovernment of
India that the appellant should be discharged from the service. On
' •ihe .basis of the above report, the G'overnment of India passed the F
order of discharge dated November 5, 19Sland 'communicated it .to
_.., the ,appellant. The material part of the order.reads thus.:

''No. Ic220l 1/9/81 Pers. HI
Government of India/Bharat. Sarkar
M nistry of Home Arfairs/Grih Mantralaya G.
N~w Delhi-110001, the 9 Nov. 1981

' ·•
ORDER

Whereas the· Central Government is satisfied that Shri H
Anoop Jai3wal, appoi~ti;ci to the lndi.an Police Service on pro- •

•
' 456, SUPRE'J:E COURT REPORTS (1984] 2 S.C.R.
. '

A bation on the result of the c;vil Service E~amination held in
the year 1979, is unsuitable for bein,g a memb~r of the said (
·• service, he is hereby discharged under clause (b) of Rule
12 of the Indian Police Service (P•cbation) Rules, 1954.
+ -.
(.'
. The order\ of discharge. will take dfect from the date on \,_·
B
.
which it is served on the said Shri Anoop Jaiswal.
'

In the name of and on behalf of the President of India .

., sd/-

-
c (NARENDRA PRASA~
., D'IR.ECTOR" · ; •

On, receipt of the above order of discharge, the app€llant made
a representation on November 14, 1981 to the Government of India .
. :· · to reconsider the ma tier. ·It appears that the Director of the jlational
Police Academy on this occasion recommended that the appellant
D
may be rei11stated. That representation was rejected by the Govern-
ment ~of India 'On April° 8, 1982. Thereafter,. he filed a petition
under Art.icle ·226 of the Con·stitution before the High Court of Delhi
~·contending that the·.order of discharge was violative of Article 311(2)
a1~d Article 1.4 of the Constitution. That petition was dismissed by
. •the High Court at the stage of admission on August 30,1982 after
E
hearing the counsel· for the .Union of India. Against the judgment
of the· High C:ourt.-ihe appe:lant has filed this appeal with special.
leave under Article 136 of the Constitution.

' . "
The main contention of the appellant before us is that the order '
:r ,.
F djscharging the petitioner though on the face of it appears to carry• .
.no stigmais in reality an order terminating his service on the ground
of ·misconduct alleged to have been committed by him on June: 22,
1981 in acting as one of the ring leaders who were responsible for
tlie
delay of about twenty-two minutes in the arrival of the probationers
at the Gymnasium and that such an order could not have been passed
G without holding an enquiry as contemplate51 under Article 311(2) of "
the Constitution and ihe relevant ·rules governing such an enquiry.
He has also contended that the m•tler is based· on conjunctures and
surm.ises and by way of illustration he has referred us to paragraph , ,
•
13 of the counter affidavit which reads thus ; ~

,H
"P.ara 13 ;

•
...
ANOOP JAiSWAL v. GOVT ..OF INDIA (Venkataramiah, J.) 457

The petitioner did not conduct himself fully in accordance A
with the p~esotibed rules and regulations during his training·
+ period. On one. occasion"when he was sanctioned '!eave for
16 days in the month Qf May, 1981, he did not report himself
for duty in time. ·He absented himself wilfully o.n !.6.1981
without applying for. leave for the day. For this action, he
was warned by the Director against recurrence of· such con- B
quct The period of his wilful absence fof one day was
treated as leave without pay. On two earlier occasions; the
l\ •
petitioner's conduct w~s found prejudicial to good order
and discipline, on the first occ~sion lie was verbally counselled

i ..
by the Chief. Drill Instruc_tor and.on the.second occasion a
• Memo mas issued to ~him. · c
There was no gradation maintained Jn tile Atademy ·
· about the aitendauce, in terms of which the petitioner had
the record of being second (or may be third) highest in the
Academy. However, -thisrecord in this respect was other.wise
D
satisfactory,"

· The reply of the appellant to the above allegation is found in
paragraph· 6 of the rojoinder.affidavit filed by the appellant
which reads : ·
E
"Re: Paral3: The avermentsma de in;iara 13 of the
petition are reiterated and the contentions of, the respondent
to the contrary are denied as incorrect. It is reiterated that
the petitioner conducted himsel( full f in accordance with ·
rules and regulations. The allegatiol). made by the respondent
that I absented myself wilfully on 1.6.1981 without applying F .
for leave for. the day is highly misleading.· The correct fact
is that J was sanctioned my Earned Leave on1s:s.81 for a
period o( 16days, and I was to report back for duty on 1.6.81
before 12.00 noon. I made arrangemen_t .to reach Hyderabad
l:iefore 8.00 a.m. on 1.6.1981. However' en account.of late
running of train ·in which I wµs travelling and C<rn1;equently . G.
missing the connecting train, I could reach Hyderabad only
around noon and I report 'lt 1.00 p.m. .AU-these facts were
duly.explained to the Asstt. Director, Outdoor Training; and
he· permitted. to attend the afternoon classes on 1.6.81 which
• J did. (However, at this sugg<slion, !applied ·f6r leave for H
the day and the leave was sanctioned without pay). It is

..
458 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1984] 2 S.C.R.

A incorrect to say that I was warned for'this. AU that the
Director said was that o.n suc.h situations, the proper course
was to .apply for a day's leavt ·which I did as stated earlier.
It is, therefore, very unreasonable to characterise the said ..
incident as ·wilful absence:. The further allegation. that
. on the earlier occasions, the· petitioner's c~nduct was found
B prej"dioial to good crrder and disoipline, is very vague and
without any . ·particulars. Counselling by the Instructor
.- concerned i; a routine . affair and, in
.. fact, the
. Instructors are \

meant. to counsel.· ·Even rega,rding the second occasion,
wlien a memo was said to. have issued, it is not stated as to.

c
what the ·offence was. His significarti to note that ··the.
respondent has '
·not .denied tl\e allegation made by me. that J ·
was not the· only one who received such memos and that
' .
without exception all the probationary officers had at some
time or the other received such me;,.,os. J de11y tlie rest of
the .allegations an<>l reiterate the. averments made in para l3
of tlie petition.'.'
•
The ..Jearned counsei for the parties have cited a number of.
decisions before us in· support of·their respective cases. On going
·'through theh1 we are of the view that there is not much divergence
in them as to the true Jega./ principles· to be follo;,,ed in ma!ters of
this nature but the ·real proble~ appears to be· one of applicati_on
of thpse pri~cipl's iri a given case in determining whether the parti- .
cular action taken amounts to a punishment attracting Article 311(2}
· of the Constituti~n or a· mere discharge s;mPJiciter not requiring the
holding of .a·n: enquiry as contemplated under Article 311(2). .We
shall now deal with two leading cases having a bearing on the question
before us. In Parshotam• Lal Dhingta. v. Uni~1i of India<" this Court
F after. a.n elaborate consideration of· the relevant· provisions of the ....
·
\:onstitution
.. .
and judicial decisi~ns
' ' . ... .
cited
.
before - them observed.:.

:'The net ·1;esu!t is-that "it.iS cnly iri thcsc_ C-asrs ~l.cre 11·.e
. Govcr,)Jn~nt intends to inflict those_ three ·fcnns of punis)1-
ments .tl1at the Govern1nent S·:'!Jva'nt must be give"n a reason-
able opp0rtunity:ofsho\Ying cau~e against the actibn propos·ed
fo be taken ill regard to them. It fol!O\vs, ·therefore, that
ff the· termin.c1tfon of nvice is sought to be brougU about
otherwise than by way of punishment then the Gove.rnment
_servant \Yhose s·ervice IS so terminated· Cannot claim· the·
H I .

. (I) [1958] S.C.R. 828 .

•
ANOOP JAIS~AL v. GOVT. OF INDIA.(Ve11kataramiah, J.) 459

,' .. protection of Art: 3I I (2) and the decisions cited before us
0

and refetre.d to above, in so fa r as they lay.down that principle,
A
+ must be held to be rightly decided,

The rofegoing conclusion, however, does not .sol.ve the ..
entire problem, for· it lias yet to be ascertained as to when
an order for the termination of service is inflicted .as and by · B
way of punishment and when it is not" .. "" " ......... .

,. . Wliere a person is appointed' to a permanent post in a
·'°' Governm~nt service on probation, the terminati.on of his
1 service during· or at the end' of the period of probation will
; •\ not ordinarily and by itself be a punishment, for ·the Govern- c
me.nt servant, so appointed; has no ·right to continue to
hold such a post any more:thaq the servant employed on pw-.
batio.n by a private empl0yer is entitled to do. Such a
termination does not operate ·as a forfeiture ·.of any right of
the servant to. hold th.e post, for he has no such right and
obviously cannot. be a dismissal, removal or reduction in. D
'\.
• rank by way of punishment .. ·... _...................... .
'
ft does not~ however, follow that;.exceptin the three cases
. mentioned .above, in. all" other cases, fer1niii.ation of service
· of a Government servant who has ·no ·right to h{s post, e.g.,
where he was appointed ·to a post, temporary or permanent, E
either on probation or on an officiating basis and had not
acquired a quasi-permanent status, the termination cannot,
in any circumstances, be a dismissal or removal from service
by way of punishme~t. , ....... : ' , ................ : ..... .

Jn short, if the termination of service is· founded on the F
· right flowing from contract or the service rules then, prima
facie, the termination is not a punishment and carries with
• ·it ·no evil .consequences and so Art. .311 is not attracted .
But even if the Govermpeni has, by contract. or .under the
rules, the .right to terminate the empioyment without going
thro\Ighthe procedure prescribed for inflictihg the punish1'1ent G
• of dismissal or remo.val or reduction in rank, .the .Govern'
m>:nt may, nevertheless, choo.se to punish the se.rva1\t and·
·~. if the te~mination of servite is sought· to be founded on mis-
cond net, negligence, · inefficiency· or other disqualification,
· then· it is a punishment and the requirements of Art. 311 H
must be complied with."

..
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'
•
464 'SUPREME COURT RNPORT.S [1984] 2 S.C.R.
A fate at the G¥mnasium and acting as oile of !he ring leaders on the
occasion and his explanation was obtained. Similar explanations
we.re called for from other probationers and. enquiries were made
. behind the back of the appellant, . only the .case of the appellant was
dealt with severely in the end. The cases Of other probationers who
were also considered to. be ring leaders were not seriously_taken note
'B of. Even though the order of discharge may be non-committal, it
.cannot stand alone. Though the notfog in the file of the Government .
may be irrelevant, the- cause for the order cannot be ignored. The
I
recommendation of the Director which is the basis or foundation for·
the order should ·be read alongwith the order for the purpose of deter- A
mining its true character. Jf on reading the two together the Court .
c teacll!'s the .conclusion that the alleged act of misconduct ·was the ··~

cause of the order and that but for that incident it would not have .•.
·

been passed then it is inevitable that the order of discharge should
fall to the ground· as the appellant has not been afforded a reasonable
opportunity to defend himself as provided m Article 311(2) of the
Constitution.
D
The Union of India has placed before us.all the relevant material
including the recommendation of the Directo~ of the National Police
Academy that the appellant may be reinstated.· In this ca;e, as stated
above, explanation was called for form the appellant and. other pro-
bationers: Bx,planations were received and ·an the probationers ,
E Including the aJ?pellant were individually interviewed in order to
ascertain' facts. Explanation submitted by him .and the answers given
by others had weighed with the Director before making the recci1l!men- ·
dation to the Government of India on the basis of which action was
tak~n. The only ground which ultimately prevailed upon the Director
was that the appellant had not shqwn any sign u( repentance without
F informing him that his case would be dealt with leniently if he showed
anv sign of repentance. In fact in the ·very. first reply he gave to the
Director on being asked about the incident which took place on June
22, 1981, the · ~ppelhnt stated '.I sincer.elv regret ti1e lapse,' Neither
in the·letter which the Director first wrote to the Central Government,
nor in the counter affidavit filed fo. this Court, due importance ·has
G been given to the said expression of regret and it is further seen that
no additional lapse on the part of the appellant between June 22, 1981
and the date on which the Director wrote the letter to the central
Government, which would show that the apP"llant had not shown
any sign of repentance is pointed out, although th~re is a reference
to his reporting to duty late on an earlier date oil June !, 1981. On
. goihg .through. the above record before the' Court and .taking into
•
-
ANOOP JAISWAL v. GOVT. OF INDIA (Ven,kataramiah, J.) . 465
'

account all the attendant circumstances we are satisfied. that the A
Director wished to make the case of the appellaµt an example· for
others including those other probationers who were similarly situated
so that they may learn a. Jesson therefrom.
l

A narration Of the facts of the case leaves. no doubt that the
alleged act of misconduct on June 22, 1981 was the real foundation B
for the action taken against the appellant and that the other instances
'stated in the course of the counter affidavit are mere allegations which
are put forward on!)' for purposes of strengthenipg the defence which
is otherwise ver 1 weak. The case is one which attrac.ted Article 311(2)
'(. .. of the Constitu'tion as the impugned order amounts tb a termination
• ' of service by way of punishment and an enquiry.should have been c
held in accordance with the said' constitutional provision. That
admittedly having not been done, the impugned order is liable to be
struck down. We accordingly set aside the judgment of the High
Court and the impugned order dated November 5, 1981 discharging
the appellant from service. The appellant should no\\ be re-·
instated in service with the sa.me rank and seniority he was entitled to D
before the impugned order was passed as if it had not been passed at
all. He is also entitled to all consequentiai benefits including the
• appropriate year.of allotment and the arrears of salary and allowances
upto the 'date of his reinstatement. The appeaHs accofdingly allowed.

The appellant had to face this case just at the ~ommencement E
of his career. We ha,ve allowed his claim in the name of the Con-
stitution. This should help him to regain his spirit and also encourage
him to turn out to be a public servant in the true sense of that expression.

Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case we
'feel that the parties should be directed to bear their own costs. ' F

H.S.K. A.ppea/ allowed.