As per case facts, a police constable was discharged from service under Punjab Police Rules 12.21 for being unlikely to become an efficient officer after he absented from duty without ... leave. The lower courts deemed the discharge illegal, null, and void, finding it a punishment without inquiry, leading to the State's appeal. The question arose whether a probationer's discharge, though innocuous on its face, was punitive when based on misconduct, thus requiring a formal inquiry under the Rules. Finally, the Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in inferring the discharge was punitive and based on misconduct, emphasizing that a probationer's service can be dispensed with if found unsuitable, even with preliminary inquiries, without it being considered a punishment requiring a full departmental inquiry.