JUDGMENT

Gokhale J. —

This appeal seeks to challenge the judgment and order dated 28.1.2003 rendered by the Madras High Court allowing Writ Petition No. 1311 of 1999 filed by the Respondent Nos. 1 and 2, and setting aside the order passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal dated 27.11.1998 which had allowed the Original Application No. 891 of 1996 filed by the appellant herein. The O.A. filed by the appellant thus stood dismissed by the impugned judgment and order of the High Court.

2. Short facts leading to this appeal are as follows:- At the relevant time in November 1994, the appellant was working as a Chief Law Assistant which was a Group-‘C’ post in the Southern Railways. The post higher to this post is that of the Assistant Law Officer which is a Group-‘B’ post. At the relevant time the total cadre strength of Assistant Law Officers in Southern Railway was three. Initially when ‘Assistant Law Officer’ was a single post cadre, in the year 1991, it was filled by an open category candidate. Subsequently, when two more posts were created in the year 1994, reservation was applicable. The posts were to be filled on the basis of seniority-cum-suitability. A notification holding