PRATUL KUMAR GANGULY Vs. STATE OF ASSAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) SINCE the facts in all the five writ petitions are identical and since common legal issues have been raised in all the writ petitions, these are being disposed of by this common judgment.

(2.) HEARD Sri HRA Choudhury, learned senior counsel for the writ petitioners, assisted by Sri RC Das, learned counsel. The state respondents are represented by Dr B Ahmed, learned Standing Counsel for the Irrigation Department and Sri HI Choudhury for the private respondents. Also perused the pleadings of both the parties.

(3.) IN the midst of the selection process, the writ petitioners approached this Court by filing Writ Petition No. 4820 of 2007 to direct the state respondents to consider their seniority, while filling up the posts on promotion basis. The writ petition was disposed of on 01.10.2007 observing that the seniority of the writ petitioners shall be taken into consideration. Thereafter, a contempt case was also filed, which was registered as Contempt Case No. 5 of 2008. The contempt case was disposed of on 28.05.2009 on the submission of the learned counsel for the respondents that before the judgment of this Court in writ petition, the selection process was already over. However, while closing the contempt case, the writ petitioners were given the opportunity to challenge the appointment orders individually.