In a decisive ruling that brings closure to a protracted legal battle, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the seniority rights of police inspectors from the 2002 batch of the Goa police force. The apex court dismissed a special leave petition filed by the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn) on Friday, putting an end to the long-standing dispute.
Finality to a Protracted Legal Battle
The Supreme Court's dismissal of the IRBn's petition ensures that inspectors belonging to the 2002 batch of the Goa police will retain their lawful seniority along with all consequential service benefits that come with it. This verdict brings finality to the issue, which had been pending before the highest court.
Representing the Goa police in the Supreme Court was a legal team led by senior advocate Atmaram Nadkarni, assisted by advocate Galileo Teles and advocate on record Salvador Santosh Rebello. The IRBn inspectors had approached the Supreme Court to challenge an earlier order from the Bombay High Court.
The Core of the Dispute
The controversy originated in 2023 when the state government merged two separate cadres—the Goa police and the IRBn—and subsequently prepared a combined seniority list. This list had placed IRBn police officers above the 2002 batch of Goa police officers.
However, the Bombay High Court, in July, set aside this combined list. The high court held that the police personnel were entitled to have their seniority as police inspectors considered from the date of their actual promotion—specifically, the date when a vacancy was available in the police inspector cadre. This ruling was made despite the promotions being labeled as 'ad hoc,' as related petitions from the officers were pending before the Supreme Court at the time.
Apart from setting aside a 2019 order that regularized their services as police inspectors, the high court also quashed the existing seniority list. It directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to revise the list within a period of three months.
Clearing the Decks for a Fresh Start
Following the Supreme Court's ruling, advocate Galileo Teles explained the implications. "The Supreme Court has confirmed that the service of police inspectors was considered as ad hoc only because of the pendency of the matter before Supreme Court," Teles stated after the hearing.
He added, "With this order, the decks are cleared for the DGP to draw up a fresh seniority list as per the order of the Bombay High Court." This paves the way for the Goa police administration to implement the corrected seniority list, ensuring justice for the 2002 batch officers whose careers were impacted by the dispute.
The Supreme Court's verdict underscores the importance of adhering to lawful promotion dates and seniority rules within government services, providing relief to the officers who have awaited this resolution for years.
