Madras High Court
REV.APLW/159/2026 of THE CHAIRMAN Vs N.ASHOKAN on 21 August 2026
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 21-08-2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S. M. SUBRAMANIAM
AND
THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE M.JOTHIRAMAN
REV.APLW Nos. 159, 160, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 218, 219, 220, 221 and 222 of 2026
AND
WMP Nos.39377, 39379, 39388, 39384, 39393, 39395, 39396, 39402, 39405, 39407, 39411, 39412, 39414, 39415, 39416, 39419, 39417, 39420, 39423, 39421, 39422, 39425, 39427, 39429, 39430, 39431, 39434, 39436, 39442, 39441, 39438, 39439, 39444, 39445, 39446, 39447, 39448, 39449, 39451, 39450, 39453, 39452, 39454, 39455, 39456, 39459, 39458, 39457, 39463, 39467, 39466, 39461, 39462,39464,39473, 39474, 39468, 39470, 39469, 39471, 39475, 39476, 39477, 39478, 39480, 39482, 39484, 39483, 39489, 39486, 39487, 39488, 39492, 39493, 39494, 39495, 39497, 39498, 39496, 39499, 39500, 39502, 39506, 39503, 39507, 39509, 39505, 39508, 39514, 39516, 39511, 39512, 39518, 39515, 39517, 39521, 39519, 39520, 39525, 39522, 39523, 39524, 39528, 39530, 39532, 39533, 39536, 39534, 39537, 39535, 39539, 39538 and 39540 of 2026
1. The Chairman, State Level Scrutiny Committee, Secretary To Government, Adi Dravidar And Tribal Welfare Department, Secretariat, Chennai - 600 009.
2. The Director Of Tribal Welfare Department Chepauk, Chennai 600 005.
3. The Assistant Commissionr Of Police
Assistant Commissioner Of Police Office Social Justice And Human Rights Wing, Old Armed Force Campus, Line Medu, Salem 636 006.
4. The District Collector And Chairman
District Level Vigilance Committee, Salem District.
..Petitioners
Vs
N.Ashokan
S/o.Nagaraj, G-12, Bit Staff Quarters,
Sathyamangalam, Erode District 638 401.
..Respondent
Prayer in REV.APLW No. 159 of 2026 : To review the order dated 03.06.2025 made in W.P. NO. 17276 of 2025.
In all Rev.Aplws
For Petitioners :
Mr.A.R.Suresh
Special Government Pleader
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Order
(Order of the Court was made by S.M.Subramaniam J.) The grounds raised in the present review petitions have been considered by the Full Bench of this Court in the case of R.Gurusamy -vs- Tamil Nadu State Level Scrutiny Committee (W.P.Nos.23827 of 2025 etc., batch dated 30.07.2026). The Full Bench answered the reference as under : “
15. Applying the binding Supreme Court propositions to the questions referred to us, this Full Bench rules as follows:
(1) Question (a) is answered in the Affirmative: Verification into the genuineness of a community certificate or caste status of an employee remains legally permissible even after their retirement from service. Since an appointment obtained by fraud is ab initio void, retirement does not wash away the foundational illegality, and retiral benefits flowing from a void entry cannot be protected.
(2) Question (b) is answered in the Affirmative: The employers and Scrutiny Committees are fully empowered to verify the genuineness of a community certificate or caste status, irrespective of whether the certificate was issued or the employment was granted prior to the year 1995. Fraud has no expiry date, and the procedural mechanics established vide Kumari Madhuri Patil (supra) in 1994 do not grant immunity to older deceptions.
(3) Question (c) is answered in the Affirmative: A lawful verification process into an employee's caste status initiated prior to retirement does not lapse upon superannuation and must be permitted to continue to its logical conclusion. To hold otherwise would allow dilatory tactics to defeat constitutional accountability.”
2. In view of the above judgment of the Full Bench of this Court, no further adjudication needs to be undertaken in respect of the present review petitions filed by the State. Thus, all these Review Petitions are closed. No costs. (S.M.S.,J.) (M.J.R.,J.) 21-08-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order KST Note : Registry is directed to type cause title in all the cases.
S.M.SUBRAMANIAM J. AND M.JOTHIRAMAN J. KST REV.APLW No. 159 of 2026 etc., Batch 21-08-2026