S.Rajamuthu, v. The Secretary To Government

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 11-02-2026

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S. M. SUBRAMANIAM AND THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE C.KUMARAPPAN and M.P.No.3 of 2010

1. S.Rajamuthu, S/o.Subbu, Inspector Of Factories, Tiruvarur.

2. S.Poongodi, D/o.Govindan, Inspector Of Factories, Coimbatore.

3. Dinakaran, S/o.Kandaswamy, Inspector Of Factories, Hosur.

4. G.Thirumuruga Balasubramanian, S/o.Govindan, Inspector Of Factories, Dindugul

5. M.V.Senthilkumar, S/o.Velusamy, Inspector Of Factories, Thirunelveli.

..Petitioner(s) Vs

1. The Secretary To Government Labour & Employment Department, Fort St.

George, Chennai-9

2. The Chief Inspector Of Factories, Chepauk, Chennai-5.

3. Erai Arul, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, 23, Kajan Nagar, 3rd Street, Trichy-20.

4. N.Jeyakumar,

Inspector Of Factories, Madurai.

5. K.Kaliannan, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, Ii Circle, Ttc Buildings, Kavundampalayam, Coimbatore-30.

6. S.Ponsingh Mohanram, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, Iii Division, 617, Anna Salai, Bharath Kumar Bhavan, Chennai.

7. S.Muthukumar, 2/535, B.Manorajitham Street, Selvanthi Street (inside), 6th Main Road, Gomathi Puram, Maduria-20.

8. B.Alagesan, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, 16, 1st Floor, Krishnapalayam Road, Karungalpalayam, Erode-638 003.

9. K.Manoharan, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, Hig Sipcot, Lal Compound, Hosur, Krishnagiri.

10.K.Arul, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, 525, Cross Cut Road, Coimbatore-641 012.

11.B.Sundaram, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, Arani Road, Sankaranpalayam, Vellore-632 001.

12.K.Chidambaranathan, O/o.Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, 76, First Street, Arulalantha Nagar, Tanjore-613 007.

13.G.Muralidharan, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, 127b, 4th Cross, Subbayamudaliar Layout, Tutukorine-628 003.

14.S.Durairaj, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, No.14,

Perumanallur Road, Tirupur-2.

15.R.Jayakumar, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, Arani Road, Sankaranpalayam, Vellore-632 001.

16.S.Ambalavannan, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, 6, State Bank Colony, Dindigul-7.

17.V.Manoharan, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, 19, Kalimuthu Street, Virudhunagar-626 001.

18.K.Jegadesan, Deputy Chief Inspector Of Factories, 7, High Ground, 8th Cross, Maharaja Nagar, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli-627 011.

19.B.Padmanaban, Inspector Of Factories, 3rd Circle, 617, Anna Salai, Bharath Kumar Bhavan, Chennai.

20.A.R.Baskaran, Inspector Of Factories, 4th Circle, 617, Anna Salai, Bharath Kumar Bhavan, Chennai.

21.V.A.Appavusamraj, Inspector Of Factories, 7, High Ground 8th Cross, Maharaja Nagar, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli-627 011.

22.Periasamy, Inspector Of Factories, Salem.

23.Ravi, Inspector Of Factories, Ooty.

..Respondent(s) To call for the records of the 1st respondent in connection with the impugned orders in G.O.(2D) No.36, Labour & Employment (E1) Department dated 04.10.2005, G.O.(2D) No.32, Labour & Employment (E1) Department dated 25.05.2006, G.O.(2D) No.11 Labour & Employment (E1) Department

dated 19.02.2007, G.O.(D) No.830, Labour & Employment (E1) Department dated 03.12.2007, G.O.(D) No.133, Labour & Employment (E1) Department dated 03.03.2009, G.O.(D) No.613 and Labour & Employment (E1) Department dated 16.11.2009 and quash the same and direct the respondents to promote the petitioners as Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories retrospectively from 04.10.2005 and grant them all consequential service and monetary benefits.

For Petitioner(s):

Mr.K.Venkatramani, Senior Counsel for Mr.M.Muthappan For Respondent(s):

Mr.U.M.Ravichandran, Spl.Govt.Pleader for 1 & 2.

Mr.Saravanakumar R3, 5 to 12.

Mr.V.Ravikumar for R13, 15, 22 & 23.

Mr.S.Vadivelu, R16,17, & 18 Ms.Sasikala Ramadoss for R19 to 21 No apparance for R14 R4 not ready in notice.

ORDER

(Order of the Court was made by S.M.Subramaniam J.) The impugned order in G.O.(2D)No.36, Labour and Employment (E1) dated 04.10.2005, the panel of Inspector of Factories, fit for promotion to the post of Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories for the year 2005-2006 is under challenge in the present writ petition.

2. The writ petition itself came to be filed in the year 2010 to reverse the seniority of the promotee employees who were promoted prior to the appointment of the writ petitioners in the year 1995. The writ petitioners are directly recruited to the post of Inspector of Factories. Their contention is that

the in-service candidates who were temporarily promoted to the post of Inspector of Factories have superseded the directly recruited candidates in the seniority. The fact remains that the direct recruits were appointed in the year 1995 but the in-service candidates were promoted to the post of Inspector of Factories in the year 1986, 9 years prior to the date of appointment of the writ petitioners/directly recruited Inspector of Factories. That apart, the issue raised in the present writ petition is similar to the issue raised in W.A.No1272 of 2010. Thus, in view of the order passed in W.A.No.1272 of 2010, the present Writ Petition is dismissed. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed.

(S.M.S.,J.) (C.K.,J.) 11-02-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order VSI To

1. The Secretary To Government Labour & Employment Department, Fort St. George, Chennai-9

2. The Chief Inspector Of Factories, Chepauk, Chennai-5.

S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J.

AND C.KUMARAPPAN, J.

VSI 11-02-2026