WP No. 20770 of 2025 __________ Page1 of 7 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 17-07-2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S. M. SUBRAMANIAM AND THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE N.SENTHILKUMAR WP No. 20770 of 2025 AND WMP NO. 23434 OF 2025 T.Sulochana W/o M.Jegan, C-8, Tnhb Quarters, Near M.G.R. Nagar, Ariyalur Taluk And District, Pincode 621 703 ..Petitioner Vs 1. Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), TNPSC Road Park Town, Chennai 600 003. 2. The Secretary To Government Personnel And Administrative Reforms (b) Department, Fort St. George Chennai 600 009 3. The Secretary To Government Home (courts V) Department, Fort St. George, Chennai 600 009 4. The Registrar General Madras High Court, Chennai 600 104 5. The Principal District Judge, Ariyalur, Ariyalur District 6. D.Devaki Stenographer Grade-1, Additional District Court, Ariyalur ..Respondents https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis WP No. 20770 of 2025 __________ Page2 of 7 Prayer : Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Call for the records realting to the impugned order issued in A. No 134 /2024 dated 04.10.2024 by the 5th respondent / the principal district court, Ariyalur and quash the same as illegal and violation of natural justice and consequently direct the 5th respondent and 1st respondnet to fix the seniority of the petitioner in the post of Stenographer Grade-1 by considering her promotion dated 18.07.2017. For Petitioner : Ms.Usha Ramman For Respondents : Mr.B.Vijay for R1, Ms.A.Karthika Ashok for R4 & R5, Mr.S.V.Karthikeyan for R6, No Appearance for R2 & R3 Order (Order of the Court was made by S.M.Subramaniam J.) The present writ petition has been instituted challenging the order dated 04.10.2024 issued by the Principal District Judge, Ariyalur. Further direction is sought for to fix the seniority of the petitioner in the post of Stenographer Grade-1 by considering her promotion dated 18.07.2017. 2. The petitioner and the 6th respondent Smt.D.Devaki were initially appointed as Stenographer Grade-3. Their next avenue of promotion is to the post of Stenographer Grade-1. Admittedly, the 6th respondent relinquished her promotion to the post of Stenographer Grade-1 temporarily for a period of https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis WP No. 20770 of 2025 __________ Page3 of 7 three years from 12.07.2017 to 11.07.2020. However, the writ petitioner Smt.T.Sulochana was promoted to the post of Stenographer Grade-1 on 18.07.2017, the period during which the 6th respondent relinquished her promotion as Grade 1 Stenographer. Thus, the writ petitioner became senior to the 6th respondent in the post of Stenographer Grade-1. 3. However, on expiry of the relinquishment period in the year 2020, the 6th respondent set out a claim stating that based on the revised seniority in the post of Stenographer Grade-3 on 20.06.2023, the 6th respondent is entitled to be placed above the writ petitioner. 4. This Court is of the considered view that the writ petitioner was promoted in the year 2017 to the post of Stenographer Grade-1. Therefore, the refixation of seniority done in the feeder category of Stenographer Grade-3 lost its relevance since the petitioner came to be promoted to the post of Stenographer Grade-1 in the year 2017 in view of the relinquishment given by the 6th respondent for a period of three years from 2017 to 2020. Once an employee was promoted to the higher post, the seniority in the higher post will be taken into consideration for further promotion or grant of other service benefits. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis WP No. 20770 of 2025 __________ Page4 of 7 5. In the present case, the writ petitioner became senior to the 6th respondent in the post of Stenographer Grade-1. Therefore, the dispute relating to refixation of seniority in the initial cadre of Stenographer Grade-3 has no relevance as far as the seniority of the writ petitioner in the promoted post of Stenographer Grade-1. Without considering the above facts, the Principal District Judge, Ariyalur issued the impugned order and reverted the petitioner to Stenographer Grade I to Stenographer Grade-3 vide proceedings dated 04.10.2024. 6. Learned Principal District Judge made a finding in the impugned order that, after the promotion of the writ petitioner to Stenographer Grade-1 in the year 2017, the 6th respondent submitted a grievance application to promote her to the post of Stenographer Grade-1 since she was placed 5th in the order of revised seniority in proceedings dated 20.02.2024 for the post of Stenographer Grade-3. 7. Even if the seniority is revised for the post of Stenographer Grade-3, she is not entitled for promotion to the post of Stenographer Grade-1 by reverting the petitioner, since the 6th respondent relinquished her promotion for https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis WP No. 20770 of 2025 __________ Page5 of 7 a period of three years and during the said period, the writ petitioner was promoted to the post of Stenographer Grade-1 in the year 2017. In the cadre of Stenographer Grade-1, the writ petitioner was appointed in the year 2017 and that being the case, the revision of seniority made in the cadre of Stenographer Grade-3 shall not affect the promotion as well as the seniority already granted to the writ petitioner to the post of Stenographer Grade-1 in the year 2017. 8. Thus, the reasoning stated by the learned Principal District Judge in the impugned reversion order is not in consonance with the legal principles. Accordingly, the impugned order dated 04.10.2024 in proceedings No.A.No.134 of 2024 is set aside and the writ petition is allowed. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed. (S.M.S.,J.) (N.S.,J.) 17-07-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes/No KST https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis WP No. 20770 of 2025 __________ Page6 of 7 To 1. Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (tnpsc) TNPSC Road Park Town, Chennai 600 003. 2. The Secretary To Government Personnel And Administrative Reforms (b) Department, Fort St. George Chennai 600 009 3. The Secretary To Government Home (Courts V) Department, Fort St. George, Chennai 600 009 4. The Registrar General Madras High Court, Chennai 600 104 5. The Principal District Judge, Ariyalur, Ariyalur District 6. D.Devaki Stenographer Grade-1, Additional District Court, Ariyalur https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis WP No. 20770 of 2025 __________ Page7 of 7 S.M.SUBRAMANIAM J. AND N.SENTHILKUMAR J. KST WP No. 20770 of 2025 AND WMP NO. 23434 OF 2025 17-07-2026 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis