The grievances of all the writ petitioners in these writ petitions are that the Government granted relaxation in favour of one Mr. T. Gnanavel, presently working as an Executive Engineer in Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation.

2. The respective learned counsels, appearing on behalf of the writ petitioners, emphatically contended that the said Mr. T. Gnanavel, Executive Engineer granted with the relaxation of rules on extraneous considerations. The application, seeking relaxation, was submitted by all the employees, who were initially appointed as Fitters in Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation. When the applications seeking relaxations were submitted uniformly by a set of employees, the benefit of relaxation was extended only in favour of the said Mr. T. Gnanavel, Executive Engineer on extraneous considerations.

3. It is contended on behalf of the writ petitioners that in the event of granting relaxation of rules in favour of the employees, the same should be considered uniformly and equally to all the employees without any discrimination. However, contrary to the settled legal principles, the rule of relaxation was extended in favour of the said Mr. T. Gnanavel alone. By v