Shearer, J.

1. The applts. in two of these three appeals are, or were, constables, belonging to the armed police in the districts of Patna, Gaya & Monghyr. Ramanand Tewari, the applt, in the third appeal, was at one time a constable, but was dismissed in 1942. The applts. were prosecuted in consequence of the part taken by them in what has been described as a rebellion, but what may, I think, more accurately be described as a mutiny among certain sections of the police force stationed in five districts of the province, which occurred in the spring of 1947. Although Ramanand Tewari had ceased to be a member of the police force five years previously, he was the President of an assocn. formed by constables & havildars. This assocn. or police union, as it was called, had not then been recognised by the Provincial Govt. the reason, apparently, being that the Provincial Govt. was of opinion that no one should be permitted to be an office-bearer of such an assocn. unless he were a serving member of the police force. On 20-3-1947, a havildar, Kamta Singh, was called to give evidence in the Ct. of Mr. Bishwambhar Chaudhuri, the Sub-divisional Mag. of Gaya. In consequence of some inc