HC issues notice to state govt

Madras High Court today ordered notice to state government returnable by a week on a plea questioning the authority of 83 officers who were continuing in service despite the court setting aside their selection and appointment in Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission Group I services because of malpractices in selection process in 2004.
On a petition filed by one Selvaraj Chellappan of Chennai Justice R.S.Ramanathan ordered issue of notice to the Secretary, Public and Administrative Reforms Department of the state government.
The court had set aside the selection of the 83 candidates in 2011 but Government has not dismissed them from service which is an act of contempt of court and violation of law of the land, the petitioner claimed.

The petitioner further submitted that the appeals filed by some of the officers were dismissed recently on June 30 by the Supreme Court.Yet the state government was allowing all these 83 officials to continue in service and allowing them to sign in certain files, the petitioner claimed.
The petitioner prayed to issue a writ of quo warranto to show cause on the basis of which the government was permitting the 83 officers to occupy their offices.
The matter pertains to the selection made in 2004 by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission in which out of 91, selection of 83 officers were declared as null and void by the High Court on which an special leave petition was filed before the apex court which was also dismissed.