Judgment

ORDER: - Special leave granted.

2. The appellant was appointed as Assistant Engineer (Motor Vehicles) in 1970 and was confirmed in that post in July, 1974. In September, 1974, the appellants post was redesignated as Regional Transport Officer. In 1979, the appellant had to move the High Court for recognition of his seniority and grant of consequent service benefits including promotion and in April, 1983, the High Court directed his seniority to count from July, 1970, and for considering his claim for promotion as Deputy Transport Commissioner on the basis of his seniority. The State Government took quite some time to promote the appellant. A little later, for unknown reasons, the State Government allowed the officers junior to the appellant to officiate as Joint Transport Commissioners and the appellant found that he had been consistently overlooked and officers junior to him were getting appointed as Joint Transport Commissioners. The appellant again approached the High Court. During the pendency of the later petition before the High Court, the appellant who was then Deputy Transport Commissioner at Coimbatore and had proceeded on casual leave for four days found himself re