BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 18.11.2025 CORAM :

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE K.KUMARESH BABU W.P.(MD).No.26777 of 2024 and W.M.P.(MD).Nos.22702 & 22703 of 2024

1.V.VIJAYSANKAR

2. C.GANAPATHI

3. S.SAJEEV

4. S.KESAVAN

5. S.LIBOSE RAJA 6. N.VEMURUGAN 7. P.BENSAM MANI 8. M.JEGANATHAN

9. S.EVANGJELIN

10. N.INDIRAN

11. NAGAJOTHI

12. S.RAJAN

13. S.SABARI SUDHAKAR

14. A.SARAVANAN

15. S.SIVAKUMAR ... Petitioners vs

1.The Principal Secretary to Government Environment Climate Change and Forests Department Secretariat Fort St. George Chennai 600009

2. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Guindy, Velacherry Main Road Chennai 600 032

3. The Conservator of Forest Tirunelveli Circle Perumalpuram Tirunelveli 627 007

4. The District Forest Officer Kanyakumari District Kanyakumari

5. The Forest Ranger Kaliyal Range Vilavancode Taluk Kanyakumari District 6. The Forest Ranger Vellimalai @ Ponmanai Kanyakumari District 7. The Forest Ranger Azhagiyapandiyapuram Kanyakumari District 8. The Forest Ranger Bhoodhapandi Range Aralvoimozhi Kanyakumari District ... Respondents Prayer : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue of Writ of Mandamus directing the Respondents to include the names of the Petitioners in the state wide seniority list as on 01.01.2019 in the post of Anti-Poaching Watchers based on their date of joining by considering their representations dated 19.10.2024, 21.10.2024 and 22.10.2024 and pass such further or other orders as this Honble Court may deem fit proper in the said circumstances of this case and thus render justice.

For Petitioner : Mr.K.Vinoharan For Respondents : Mr.F.Deepak Special Government Pleader

ORDER

This writ petition is filed seeking a direction to the Respondents to include the names of the Petitioners in the state-wide seniority list as on 01.01.2019 in the post of Anti-Poaching Watchers based on their date of joining by considering their representations dated 19.10.2024, 21.10.2024 and 22.10.2024.

2. The learned Counsel for the petitioners would submit that the writ petitioners herein have been appointed as Anti-Poaching Watchers in the Forest Department before 01.12.2018 and they have approached this Court seeking direction to the respondents to consider their representations for including them in the seniority list maintained by the department and in their representations they asserted that the persons, who were appointed after they entered into service have been included in the seniority list. The said representation of the respective petitioners are yet to be considered by the respondents.

3. A perusal of the seniority list would indicate that the last of the person whose name had been included in the list was appointed on 01.12.2018 and from the particulars submitted by the petitioners, it is prima facie seen that they were all appointed before 01.12.2018.

4. In such view of the matter, there shall be a direction to the 2^nd respondent to consider the claim of the petitioners and if he satisfied that they were appointed prior to 01.12.2018, he is directed to include their names in the appropriate place in the seniority list as per their date of appointment. The said exercise shall be carried out within a period of twelve weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. However, the petitioners are at liberty to seek for regularization of their service as and when enlisted in the seniority list.

5. This writ petition is disposed of with the above said directions.

No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.

18.11.2025

1/2 Index : Yes/No Speaking/Non-Speaking order Neutral Citation : Yes/No gvn To

1.The Principal Secretary to Government Environment Climate Change and Forests Department Secretariat, Fort St. George Chennai 600009.

2. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Guindy, Velacherry Main Road Chennai 600 032.

3. The Conservator of Forest Tirunelveli Circle Perumalpuram Tirunelveli 627 007

4. The District Forest Officer K