Ramaswami, J.

1. In this case, the petitioners have obtained a rule calling upon the respondents to show cause why a writ of mandamus should not be issued for quashing the order of the respondent No. 2 dated 7-1-1953, transferring petitioner No. 1 Sri Vinaya Nath Narain Sinha to Calcutta to work as a correspondent of the "Searchlight". Cause was shown by Mr. Baldeva Sahay on behalf of the respondents.

2. Petitioner No. 1, Sri Vinaya Nath, Narain Sinha, is a senior Assistant Editor of the "Searchlight", a newspaper printed and published at Patna. He alleges that on 30-3-1953, Sri Parasnath Sinha, Managing Director of the Bihar Journals Ltd., ordered his transfer to Calcutta to work in the capacity of the correspondent of the newspaper. The order was that petitioner No. 1 should join at Calcutta on 6-4-1953, but subsequently the date of joining was extended up to 13-4-1953.

Petitioner No. 1 alleges that he had been elected as the Vice President of the Bihar Journalists Union, and the respondents were opposed to his inking any part in the activities of that particular trade union. Petitioner no. 1 alleges that the order of his transfer to Calcutta was an act of victimisation o