Writ Appeal Nos. 1074 and 1077 of 1998 filed by the Writ Petitioners challenging the common order dated 6-8-1998 passed by the learned single Judge in W.M.P. Nos. 17226 and 17227 of 1998 were listed before us. The said Writ Appeals were directed against the interim order passed dismissing the W.M.Ps. and vacating the interim injunction granted earlier.

2. Having regard to the subject matter of the Writ Petitions, the learned counsel for both the parties requested that the writ petitions themselves may be heard and disposed of. Accepting the request of the learned counsel for the parties, we took up the writ petitions themselves for final hearing. We heard the learned counsel for the parties accordingly, with their consent.

3. Briefly stated, the facts leading to the filing of the Writ Petitions are the following :- The Petitioner in W.P.No. 11287 of 1998 is a Professor and Head of the Department of Geriatric Surgery, Madras Medical College, Chennai and the petitioner in W.P.No. 11288 of 1998 is a Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacognosy, Madras Medical College, Chennai.

4. In both these petitions, the respective petitioner has sought for a Writ of Mandamus for