The main principles relevant to the present enquiry were laid down by the Court clearly and precisely at p. 860, thus: "Shortly put, the principle is that when a servant has right to a post or to a rank either under the terms of the contract of employment; express or implied, or under the rules governing the conditions of his service, the termination of the service of such a servant or his reduction to a lower post is by itself and prima facie a punishment, for it operates as a forfeiture of his right to hold that post or that rank and to get the emoluments and other benefits attached thereto." The following observation further pinpoints the principle; "One test for determining whether the termi nation of the service of a government servant 743 is by way of punishment is to ascertain whether the servant, but for such termination, had the right to hold the post." This decision, therefore, clearly lays down, without any ambiguity, that if a person has a right to hold office under the service rules or under a contract the termination of his services would attract Art 311 of the Constitution.