In service matters, a settled seniority list cannot be reopened or revised after an inordinate delay of over a decade, especially when previous requests for revision were rejected and such revision disturbs long-crystallized rights of employees.

ORDER :

D. RAMESH, J.

The present writ petition is filed seeking the following relief :

“….to issue a writ, order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the impugned proceedings of the 4th Respondent vide D.O.No.112/2025/C.No.42/A1/2024 dated 05-3-2025 rejecting the objections filed by the Petitioners to the provisional revised seniority list of Civil Police Constables of 2009 batch of Erstwhile East Godavari District, by un-settling the Settled Seniority lists of the years 2012, 2014 and 2022 and confirming the same as Final Seniority list and the consequential proceedings issued by the 4th Respondent vide Rc.No.6723/A1/2024 dated 05-3-2025, directing the Police Constables (Civil) of 2009 batch to undergo Pre-promotional Training for Police Constables (Civil) fit to act as Head Constables (Civil) without including the names of the petitioners as illegal, arbitrary and violative of principles of natural justice besides violative of Articles 14 and 16 of Constitution of India and consequently set aside the and pass….”

2. Heard Sri K.Koutilya, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners and learned Government Pleader for official respondents and Sri M.Srikanth, learned counsel for unofficial respondents.

3. All petitioners herein are appointed as civil police constables in the year 2009. Pursuant to the notification issued in the year 2009, the post of police constables in Kakinada range, all the petitioners herein have participated for written examination and physical test conducted by State level police recruitment Board of united Andhra Pradesh. They got selected as stipendiary cadre trainee police constables. They are sent to training as stipendiary cadre trainee police constables in District Training Centers at Warangal and Srikakulam. Subsequently, through proceedings of respondent no.4 dated 04.11.2009, the petitioners were appointed as police constables (civil) by allotting individual constable numbers and identity cards. After completion of two years of service in the cadre of police constables (civil), respondent no.4 has issued proceedings declaring the probation of the petitioners in the cadre of police constables (civil) and also prepared a provisional seniority list on 31.10.2012 calling for objections within seven days. In the said seniority list, the petitioners were placed at serial numbers 2,3,4,5 and 7 respectively. While preparing the said seniority list, as all the petitioners and other candidates were appointed on the same day and probation has also been declared on the same day, hence by taking into consideration of the age/date of birth, the inter-se seniority among 2009 batch was prepared by following the Rule 36(iii) of A.P. State and Subordinate Service Rules, 1996 . No objections have been filed and the same has not been challenged or filed any appeal invoking Rule 23 of A.P. State and Subordinate Service Rules, 1996 . Again respondent no.4 within the range of East Godavari District has prepared one more seniority list on 31.10.2014 vide proceedings dated 12.11.2014 by calling objections. Even in the said seniority list, the petitioners were placed at seniority numbers 2,3,4,5 and 7 and when no objections were received, respondent no.4 has finalized the said seniority list and the same was published in the year 2014.

4. For the first time in 2021, nearly lapse of a decade, some cand