1. The petitioner who was an Assistant Station Master at Ambur Railway Station of the Madras Division, Southern Railway, Madras, headed by the 4th respondent, the General Manager, Southern Railway, Madras, was ordered to be removed from service by Ext.P13 penalty advice dated 26-8-1982 issued by the 2nd respondent, the Divisional Operating Superintendent, Southern Railway, Madras: The writ petition is for the quashing of Ext. PI3 and for the issue of a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to reinstate the petitioner in service with all attendant benefits

2. The petitioner was appointed to the post of Assistant Station Master, on completion of his training, by the 4th respondent by his order dated 2-1-1964, a true copy of which is Ext. P-1; the petitioner was, during the material time, the elected Secretary (Finance) of the All India Station Masters' Association, Southern Zone; an extract of Art.3 of the Constitution dealing with the objectives for which the said Association was established is Ext. P2; Ext. P3 is the extract of the proceedings of the Central Committee of the Association which met at Lucknow on the 3rd and 4th May 1981; Ext. P4 is an extract of the d