C.L. Soni, J.—This appeal, under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, is at the instance of original defendants against whom the respondent-plaintiff filed Regular Civil No.

1054 of 1987 seeking declaration that the charge-sheet dated 8th April 1981, the order of punishment dated 31st March 1982 confirmed by the 1st and second Appellate authorities are illegal, improper and in violation of principles of natural justice. It is further prayed in the suit that the defendants have no authority to withhold any increments of the plaintiff in pursuance of the aforesaid order of punishment. The plaintiff has also prayed for injunction restraining the defendants from implementing or acting upon the order of punishment passed by the defendants. It is the case of the ‘plaintiff that the defendants had served charge-sheet dated 8th April 1981 alleging that the plaintiff had committed acts of misconduct on 20th February 1981 and a departmental inquiry was conducted and ‘ultimately the order of punishment imposing punishment of stoppage of three increments with permanent effect was imposed by the defendant No.3 by the order dated 31st March 1982. It is the further case of the plain