JUDGMENT

Kirpal, J.-These are appeals by special leave from the judgment of the Bombay High Court whereby the petition under Article 227 of the Constitution, filed by respondents 2 and 3 herein, was allowed and the orders of the Labour Court and the Industrial Court which had upheld the termination of their services was quashed with a direction to the appellant to give all consequential benefits to the said respondents.

2. The appellant is, inter alia, engaged in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. At the material time Waman S. Surve and R.B. Sail, respondents 2 and 3, were engaged as security staff (watchman and havaldar respectively) at the factory of the appellant situated at Thane, Bombay. It appears that on 7th August, 1975 one termporary workman named Parkar employed by the appellant at its aforesaid factory was caught by the appellant s security staff while he was trying to take away certain products of the appellant. Parkar was handed over to the police authorities and during the course of investigation he is stated to have disclosed to the police that besides himself two other workmen of the appellant employed in watch and ward section, namely, respondents 2 and 3 he