Order of Reference

1. The petitioners in all these writ petitions had applied for the post of Grade-II Police Constables, in the Selection Process held by the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board. The process consisted of a written examination and thereafter physical fitness test. These petitioners were all selected in the same. Thereafter, verification, regarding antecedents of the petitioners, was done through police, which is otherwise known as 'Police Verification'. It came to light from such police verification reports that these petitioners were all involved in criminal cases. Based on the said reports and by referring to Rule 14(b)(iv) of the Tamil Nadu Special Police Subordinate Service Rules, 1978, their candidatures were rejected. Those orders are under challenge in these writ petitions.

2. Considering the complicate questions of law involved in these writ petitions, this Court requested Mr.M.Ajmal Khan, the learned Senior Counsel, to assist the Court as amicus curiae. Accordingly, the learned Senior Counsel assisted the Court by bringing to the notice of this Court various judgments of the Hon'ble Supreme Court as well as this Court. I have heard t