The Order of the Court was as follows :

Notice of motion was ordered in all the writ petitions. After service of notice, the third respondent appeared, filed counters and by consent the main writ petitions themselves are taken up.

The petitioners in the writ petitions are III year B.E. Degree course students in the third respondent College. Pursuant to a complaint given against them in Alanthurai Police Station, a case has been registered as Cr. No. 44/2000 under Sections 147, 341, 342 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code. The charge against them is that they manhandled a group of eight second year students in Alanthurai Village. The affected second year students lodged a complaint with the third respondent/College also, resulting in a show cause notice being issued by the third respondent College on 26-2-2000 calling upon them to give their explanations in writing to the Principal within a week from the date of receipt of the show cause notice, as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against them for their misconduct. The show cause notice further stated that since the matter was serious in nature, the writ petitioners were placed under suspension pending enquiry,