(1.) These three Second Appeals raise common questions of law regarding the interpretation of rule 16 (l)(b) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965. It has also become necessary to consider the scope of section 100, Civil Procedure Code, (as amended) incidentally.
(2.) The appellants in all the three cases are the plaintiffs. They are employees of the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad. The have filed the suits out of which these three second appeals arise, for declaring the charge-memo. dated 4th Aug., 1976, issued by the defendant to be illegal and contrary to natural justice and for a consequential injunction restraining the defendant from proceeding further by way of recovering various amounts out of the salaries of the plaintiffs in pursuance of the orders dated 27th Aug., 1976.
(3.) As the facts are all similar, it will be sufficient to advert to the proceedings in O. S. No. 173 of 1977 out of which S. A. No. 926 of 1979 arises.