Prithipal Singh vs State Of Punjab And Ors.

The Supreme Court held that under Rule 12.21 of the Punjab Police Rules, a constable may be discharged if found unlikely to prove efficient within three years of enrolment, but if such discharge is based on recorded misconduct, the affected employee must be given an opportunity to be heard. In this case, the appellant was discharged without being given such an opportunity, rendering the discharge order unsustainable. The Court set aside the impugned order and allowed the appeal with costs.