HEMANTA KR. PATGIRI Vs. STATE OF ASSAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The extraordinary jurisdiction of this Court is sought to be invoked by filing these writ petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution of India whereby the petitioners have put to challenge a selection process for promotion to the rank of SI (UB) held in February, 2020. It is the case of the petitioners that certain criteria of the selection have been changed after the process had started giving advantage to the private respondents. Since, the issue is identical in all the four cases, the same are being disposed of by this common judgment and order.

(2.) Before deliberating on the issue raised, it would be convenient if the facts of the four cases are stated in brief.

(3.) The petitioners are serving as Assistant Sub-Inspectors and Havildars in the Assam Police and were eligible for promotion to the post of Sub-Inspector (UB) [for short SI (UB)]. A departmental examination for such promotion was initiated vide an advertisement dated 15.11.2019 issued by the Director General of Police (T&AP), Assam fixing the dates as 22nd and 23rd of February, 2020. It is the case of the petitioners that they had participated in the selection process. Pursuant to the said process, the results were published on 12.06.2020. The petitioners were not successful in the said process. The principal ground of challenge is that the Rules of the game were allegedly changed by which the private respondents had got advantage and thereby the petitioners were deprived from being getting the benefit of such promotion.