1. Petitioner was a workman employed as a Stores At tender in the canteen run by second respondent company at Mount Road. He was charge sheeted on 10th November, 1976 stating that, on that day at about 9.30 a.m. when he was searched by the watchman, he was concealing in his hip pocket 102 canteen coupons valued at Rs. 24.48 and which have not been punched and, therefore, which could be used and having thus removed it to a place away from the counting place, he had contravened Certified Standing Order 23(4), which relates to theft, fraud or dishonesty in connection with the Company's business or, property, and, therefore, he was called upon to submit his explanation. By his explanation dated 11th November, 1980 he admitted that he had carried in his hip pocket the coupons instead of leaving them at the place where he was counting, mainly because some bags had come and rain also having set in, he had to go away from the place of counting and when he was unloading the rice bags, the Manager had brought the watchman and seized the coupons from his custody. This had turned out to be a mistake for which he regrets and having not committed any derelictions in the past 17 years, he sh