JUDGMENT

Ramesh Ranganathan, C.J. (Oral)

Mr. Subhash Upadhyaya, Advocate holding brief of Mr. Subhang Dobhal, learned counsel for the appellant.

2. Mr. J.C. Pandey, learned Brief Holder for the State of Uttarakhand/respondent no. 1.

3. Mr. Bhagwat Mehra, learned counsel for respondent nos. 2 and 3.

4. Mr. Pradeep Kumar Chauhan, learned counsel for respondent no. 4.

5. This appeal is preferred against the order passed by the learned Single Judge in Writ Petition no. 1597 (S/S) of 2014, dated 31.05.2018. Selections were held for appointment on the post of Senior Administrative Officers. While both the appellant and the respondent-writ petitioner participated in the selection process, the appellant stood at serial no. 1 in the merit list, while the respondent-writ petitioner stood at serial no. 4. Questioning the appointment of the appellant as a Senior Administrative Officer, the respondent-writ petitioner invoked the jurisdiction of this Court by filing Writ Petition (S/S) no. 1597 of 2014. However, he chose not to array the candidate, who stood at serial no. 2 and 3 in the merit list, as party respondents in the writ petition.

6. The case of the petitioner is that, in terms of Rule 3 of t