Judgment

O. CHINNAPPA REDDY, J. :- The Wars of the Roses go on. How else is one to describe the perpetual battles waged between the direct-recruits and the promotees? This time the front is the Calcutta Police, the Posts are those of Sub-Inspectors of Police and the question is the same old one of seniority. Petitioners 1 and 2, who joined the Calcutta Police as Constables in November 1947 were first promoted as Assistant Sub-Inspectors of Police and later on August 6, 1957, as officiating Sub-Inspectors of Police. They were confirmed as Sub-Inspectors of Police on January 1, 1915. In. the meanwhile, a large number of persons were directly recruited as Sub-Inspectors of Police and also confirmed .as such. All of them are now ranked above the petitioners in the seniority list, and the petitioners, therefore, have a natural grievance. They claim that as laid down by a series of decisions of this court, their seniority must be reckoned from the date of their continuous officiation as Sub-Inspectors of Police. Petitioner No. 3, we may mention, was promoted as officiating Sub-Inspector of Police on September 6, 1975, but the precise date of his confirmation is not available from the reco