Madras HC Rejects Firemen’s Bid To Revise 2000 Seniority, Citing SC Bar On Disturbing Lists Finalised Before 10 March 2003

The petitioners, Leading Firemen in the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department, sought revision of their seniority from 2000 based on marks obtained in the 1999–2000 selection process.

The second respondent rejected their request by order dated 18 February 2026.

The petitioners challenged that order under Article 226, seeking its quashing and a direction to revise the seniority list according to merit.

The Supreme Court, in Contempt Petition (Civil) Diary No. 6415 of 2021 etc., order dated 18 April 2023, directed that seniority lists finalized after 10 March 2003 be revisited according to merit as determined by the TNPSC.

It also directed that lists finalized before that date, where seniority had been determined by roster or merit, should not be disturbed.

The Supreme Court referred to the principles in Bimlesh Tanwar and the first Madras High Court judgment on the issue.

The present judgment applied these directions to the petitioners’ request for revision from 2000.

The petitioners sought a change to seniority arising from the 1999–2000 selection, whereas the Supreme Court’s directions expressly protected seniority lists finalized before 10 March 2003 from disturbance.

The Court therefore concluded that the petitioners could not obtain the requested revision for 2000 and declined to entertain the writ petition.

No costs were awarded, and the connected miscellaneous petitions were closed.