JUDGMENT

CHINNAPPA REDDY, J.:— An order of premature retirement following close upon the heels of promotion and appointment to a coveted selection post is bound to perplex any right thinking man and make him wonder whether the right hand knows what the left hand has done. If in the month of May a Government servant is found to possess such high merit and ability, which naturally includes integrity, as to entitle him not merely to be promoted to a selection post but to be appointed to a very responsible and much desired post in that cadre, what could have happened between May and September to merit his being weeded out altogether from service in September under the rule which enables the Government to retire a Government servant in the public interest after he has attained the age of 50 years or after he has completed 25 years of qualifying service. One would expect that some grave and grim situation had developed in the interregnum, to warrant the pursuit of such a drastic course. But surprisingly, we found nothing whatsoever had happened in this, case during that period. Let us look at the totality of the facts.

2. The appellant appears to have had quite a noteworthy career. Starti