ORDER

1. THE APPELLANTS BEFORE US ARE THE CANDIDATES WHO HAD APPEARED FOR AN EXAMINATION IN 1989 WHICH HAD BEEN CONDUCTED BY THE RESPONDENT AUTHORITIES FOR THE POST OF COMMERCIAL CLERKS AND TICKET COLLECTORS IN THE RAILWAYS. IT IS THEIR CASE THAT THEY WERE CALLED FOR INTERVIEW BUT WERE ULTIMATELY NOT SELECTED. THEY CAME TO KNOW OF THIS FACT IN 1990 WHEN A LIST OF SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WAS PUBLISHED. FOUR OF THEM FILED ORIGINAL APPLICATIONS BEFORE THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL IN 1991. THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF CHALLENGE IN THESE APPLICATIONS WAS THE ELIMINATION OF THE APPELLANTS ON THE BASIS OF THE INTERVIEW. WHILE THE APPLICATIONS WERE PENDING, THE RAILWAYS RECRUITMENT BOARD (RRB) AT GORAKHPUR SOUGHT CLEARANCE FROM THE VIGILANCE DEPARTMENT FOR DESTRUCTION OF THE ANSWER SCRIPTS, INCLUDING OTHER RECORDS PERTAINING, INTER ALIA, TO THE EXAMINATION IN QUESTION. THE PERMISSION WAS REFUSED BY THE VIGILANCE DEPARTMENT WHICH FOUND, ON A SCRUTINY OF THE ANSWER PAPERS AND OTHER RECORDS, THAT THERE WERE DISCREPANCIES IN HOLDING AND EVALUATION OF THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION WHICH REQUIRED FURTHER INVESTIGATION. IN 1994, THE FIFTH APPLICATION WAS MADE BY ONE OF THE APPELLANTS BEFORE THE CENTRAL A