STATE OF PUNJAB & ANR. vs SHRI SUKH RAJ BAHADUR

The Supreme Court held that the respondent, a probationer in the Punjab Civil Service, could not claim substantive appointment merely by completing probation and passing departmental examinations, as per Article 311(2) of the Constitution. The Court ruled that the reversion to his former post was not punitive and did not violate his rights, as the circumstances surrounding the termination did not indicate punishment. The decision clarified that the termination of a probationer's service does not invoke the protections of Article 311 unless it meets specific criteria regarding rights to the post or character aspersions.