The Director General v. R.Balamurugan

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 30.03.2026

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR.SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI, CHIEF JUSTICE and THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE N.SATHISH KUMAR W.A(MD) No.11 of 2026 and C.M.P(MD)No.77 of 2026 1.The Director General, Central Reserve Police Force, (Recruitment Branch), East Block 07, Level - IV, Sector - 01, R.K. Puram, New Delhi - 110 066.

2.The Deputy Inspector General of Police, CRPF Group Centre, Aavadi, Chennai.

3.The Presiding Officer, Review Medical Board, Recruitment of Constable (GD) - 2024, Centre-GC CRPF, Aavadi, Chennai.

... Appellants/Respondents -vsR.Balamurugan, S/o.Ramesh, No.7C, Idayavalasai, Ilayangudi, Sivagangai District -630702.

... Respondent/Writ Petitioner

Writ Appeal filed under Clause 15 of Letters Patent to set aside the order, dated 15.07.2025 passed in W.P.(MD)No.26347 of 2024 on the file of this Court.

For Appellants : Mr.K.Govindarajan Deputy Solicitor General of India For Respondent :

Mr.D.Shanmugaraja Sethupathi

J U D G M E N T

[Judgment of the Court was delivered by The Hon'ble CHIEF JUSTICE] The present Writ Appeal under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent assails the judgment dated 15.07.2025 passed in W.P.(MD)No.26347 of 2024, whereby the learned Single Judge allowed the writ petition and passed the following order:

"20. In view of the above discussions and in the light of the decisions of the various High Courts favouring the petitioner as stated supra, this Court on its perception deems it fit to accept the prayer of the petitioner and accordingly, the impugned Review Medical Examination report dated 07.10.2024 issued by the third respondent, is hereby quashed. Consequently, there shall be a direction to the third respondent to review /re-conduct the medical examination for the said

post in the Central Armed Police Forces in pursuance of the recruitment notification dated 24.11.2023." 2.The learned Deputy Solicitor General of India appearing for the appellants submitted that the learned Single Judge erred in directing the appellants to review/re-conduct the medical examination for the post in the Central Armed Police Forces pursuant to the notification dated 24.11.2023, in as much as the Revised Uniform Guidelines for Medical Examination (RME) in Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles in Clause 6 (General Grounds for Rejection), sub-clause 27 provides that any person suffering polydactyly of hands/feet is ineligible for selection. 3.Earlier, two medical boards were conducted. The first medical board was conducted on 5th October 2024, whereby polydactyly in the left hand was noted. Therefore, on that basis, the candidature of the respondent/writ petitioner was rejected. Thereafter, a Review Medical Examination was conducted on 7th October 2024, whereby he was declared unfit due to polydactyly of the left thumb.

4.In view of the aforesaid, learned Deputy Solicitor General of India submitted that the order passed by the learned Single Judge directing re-conduct the Review Medical Board is unwarranted. He further contended that, in the absence of any mala fides attributed against the medical board, the opinion of the medical board is to be treated as final. 5.On the other hand, learned counsel appearing for the respondent/writ petitioner submitted that the polydactyly in the hand is only a minor acceptable defect which can be ignored. There is no finding by the medical board that the respondent/writ petitioner is incompetent or unfit to perform the duties attached to the post for which he had applied.

Further, while rejecting the candidature, no reasons have been assigned with reference to its location, size, side of the body and other parameters as per applicability. In the absence of such reasons, there is no justification for arriving at the conclusion that he is incapable of performing the duties. In view of the above, the learned Single Judge has rightly allowed the writ petition directing the appellants to re-conduct the medical examination. Hence, the present writ appeal, being devoid of merit and substance, is liable to be dismissed.

6.Heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties and perused the records.

7.When the medical opinion assigns the reasons for rejection, there can be no quarrel with the submissions made by the learned Deputy Solicitor General of India. However, the fact remains that, in the present case, while rejecting the candidature, reasons have not been assigned. This is, in fact, contrary to the Revised Uniform Guidelines for Review Medical Examination in Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles itself. Guideline No.2, sub-clause (b), makes it clear that the cause of rejection should be mentioned with reference to its location, size, side of the body and other parameters as applicable.

Minor acceptable defects shall also be written in the appropriate paragraph form, along with the opinion of the recruiting officer that such defect is not likely to interfere with the efficient performance of duties required of the candidate. Similarly, while rejecting the candidature, reasons ought to be provided by the medical officer. In both the medical reports, we do not find any such reasoning.

however, the impact of such condition on the performance of duties has not been indicated in any of the medical opinions. 8.Therefore, we are of the view that the learned Single Judge, in fact, has not gone into the merits of whether polydactyly is a bar for selection, but has only directed a re-examination. Further, we are of the view that such re-examination will not prejudice any party and the medical board can arrive at a proper conclusion supported by reasons. 9.In the above circumstances, we do not find any merit in the Writ Appeal. Accordingly, the Writ Appeal is dismissed. The writ petitioner is directed to appear before the Review Medical Board at Avadi, Chennai on 13.04.2026 at 11:00 a.m. No costs. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous Petition is closed.

[SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI, C.J.] [N.SATHISH KUMAR, J.] 30.03.2026 NCC : Yes/No Index : Yes/No ps

To 1.The Director General, Central Reserve Police Force, (Recruitment Branch), East Block 07, Level - IV, Sector - 01, R.K. Puram, New Delhi - 110 066.

2.The Deputy Inspector General of Police, CRPF Group Centre, Aavadi, Chennai.

3.The Presiding Officer, Review Medical Board, Recruitment of Constable (GD) - 2024, Centre-GC CRPF, Aavadi, Chennai.

THE HON'BLE CHIEF JUSTICE and N.SATHISH KUMAR , J.

ps W.A(MD)No.11 of 2026 30.03.2026