In W.P.No.19260 of 2002, petitioner, who is the father of one Sathish @ Sathishkumar, a 5th Standard student of the Panchayat Union Elementary School, Thudupatty, Erode District, prays for issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the first respondent/State Government to pay compensation of Rs.6,00,000/-for the death of his son due to the fall of compound wall of the School.

2. The third respondent in W.P.No.19260 of 2002, who was the Headmaster of the School, has filed W.P.No.14436 of 2008 praying to quash the order dated 15. 2008 rejecting his request to retire him from service and to pay the terminal benefits, which was not granted due to the pendency of W.P.No.19260 of 2002.

3. The facts leading to filing of these writ petitions are one and the same and the issue involved in both these writ petitions are inter-connected. Hence, both the writ petitions are disposed of by this common order.

4. For the sake of convenience, the parties in this common order are referred to as per their rank in W.P.No.19260 of 2002.

.5. The case of the petitioner is that his son S. Sathish @ Sathishkumar, aged 10 years was studying in 5th standard in the Panchayat Union Elementary Schoo