M/S. EMPIRE INDUSTRIES LTD. vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA .

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the Government of Maharashtra's order prohibiting the lock-out at Garlick Engineering under Section 10(3) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Court held that the government can only prohibit a lock-out if all disputes leading to it are referred for adjudication, emphasizing that selective reference of demands is insufficient. Consequently, the Court ruled that the prohibition order was illegal, allowing the appellant to continue the lock-out until the factory's closure on April 26, 1999.