Judgment

SHINGHAL, J.:- These three appeals by certificates granted by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana are directed against two judgments of that court dated August 20 and another judgment of that court dated November 22, 1968. The High Court first decided the writ petition of constable Dwarka Das, which is the subject-matter of Appeal No. 1286 of 1969, and disposed of the other two writ petitions, which are the subject-matter of Appeals Nos. 1287 and 2511 of 1969, on the basis of that judgment. These three appeals therefore raise common questions of law and have been heard together at the request of learned counsel for the parties and will be disposed of by a common judgment.

2. The writ petitioners in all the three cases were recruited as constables in the police force of the Punjab State. It is not in dispute before us that (i) they were police officers of the State, (ii) they were enrolled as police officers, (iii) they had put in more than three years service after their recruitment and enrolment as police officers, and (iv) they were discharged under the provisions of R. 12.21 of the Punjab Police Rules, 1934 (hereinafter referred to as the Rules) and not by way of punishm