MANJITH GOPINATHAN Vs. STATE BANK OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Mr Lindons C Davis, Ms Nisha George, Mr Abhilash M J, learned Counsel for the petitioners, Mr Amal George, learned Standing Counsel for the State Bank of India, Mr M Sasindran, learned Standing Counsel for the Sainik Welfare Vikas Bhavan, and Ms Parvathy Kottol, learned Government Pleader, for the State.

(2.) The petitioners in all these writ petitions are the Ex-Defence servicemen who have retired from the Defence Services - Army, Navy and Air Force after completing full service, i.e., a minimum of 15 years of service. The petitioners in W.P.(C) No. 19520/2021 challenge the selection to the post of Armed Guards for the recruitment year 2019-2020 and the petitioners in W.P.(C) Nos.19634/2022, 29714/2023 and 31579/2023 challenge the selection to the post of Armed Guards for the recruitment year 2021-2022. The facts are substantially similar in all the writ petitions.

(3.) After the petitioners participated in the selection process of Bank Guards and failed to secure their place in the select list, they approached this Court by filing these writ petitions for cancelling the entire selection process and for directions to conduct fresh selection. Petitioners' submission: