(1.) These three petitions have been clubbed together as they all seek quashing of the selection process conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission (hereinafter to be referred to as "the Commission") for appointment to the PCS (Executive Branch) (hereinafter to be referred to as "the Service") from Register 'C' in the year 1994, in respect of vacancies that occurred in 1991. They further seek a writ of mandamus to the respondentState to consider the claim of each of the three petitioners in these cases for appointment to the said service, in accordance with the Punjab Civil Services (Executive Branch) (Class-I) Rules, 1976 (henceforth to be referred to as "the Rules"), according to merit, in Register 'C' and still further, for a writ of prohibition restraining the respondent-State from giving effect to the appointments of respondents No.5 to 7 in CWP Nos.4413 of 1995 and 10070 of 1995, who are respondents No.6 to 8 in CWP No.7359 of 1995 (For the sake of convenience, they would hereinafter be referred to as respondents No.5 to 7).
(2.) All the said respondents, i.e. respondents No.5 to 7 in CWP Nos.4413 of 1995 and 10070 of 1995, are the same three persons, i.e. S./Sh. Daljit Singh, Jagdish Chander Sabharwal and Navtej Singh, whose appointment to the PCS (Executive Branch) has been challenged by the petitioners. A stay order, to the following effect, was passed by a Division Bench on 24.03.1995, at the time of issuance of notice:-
(3.) At the outset, before proceedings to narrate the facts, as given in the petitions, it would be appropriate to reproduce Rule 8 of the aforesaid Rules, as amended vide notification of the respondent-Government dated 07.03.1989.