JUDGMENT :

P.B. SURESH KUMAR, J.

1. This appeal is directed against the judgment dated 28.02.2022 in W.P. (C) No. 18584 of 2021. Respondents 1, 2, 4 and 5 in the writ petition are the appellants. Parties and documents are referred to in this judgment for convenience, as they appear in the writ petition.

2. The petitioner was appointed as Full Time Menial in an aided school namely, Karavaram Vocational Higher Secondary School (the School) on 22.08.1987. He was thrown out from service on 15.07.1990 for want of requisite students' strength. Though the petitioner was reappointed in a few leave vacancies in the School thereafter and he had worked in such vacancies, he was appointed in a substantive vacancy in the School only on 01.12.2000. The petitioner retired from service thereafter on 30.04.2021. In Ext.P8 verification report issued by the office of the Accountant General (A&E) in connection with the sanctioning of pensionary benefits to the petitioner, the qualifying service of the petitioner was shown only as 23 years, excluding the interruptions and the service rendered in leave vacancies. According to the petitioner, the interruptions and the service rendered by him in leave vacanc