BHARAT COKING COAL vs BABULAL

The Supreme Court held that the termination of the respondents' services under Rule 12.4(1)(c) of the Common Coal Cadre, 1974 was invalid as the rule was struck down for violating Article 14 of the Constitution. The Court emphasized the necessity of conducting an enquiry into the alleged dereliction of duty before any disciplinary action could be taken. Consequently, the respondents were entitled to subsistence allowance during the pending enquiry, which must be completed within six months.