[Cites 1, Cited by 0]
Manipur High Court
Okram Sandhyarani Devi And 3 Ors vs State Of Manipur And 22 Ors on 17 February, 2026
Author: A. Guneshwar Sharma
Bench: A. Guneshwar Sharma
Item no. 17 & 18
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MANIPUR
AT IMPHAL
W.P. (C) No. 110 of 2026 with
MC(W.P. (C)) No. 116 of 2026
Okram Sandhyarani Devi and 3 Ors.
... Petitioners
- Versus -
State of Manipur and 22 Ors.
... Respondents
B E F O R E
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A. GUNESHWAR SHARMA
ORDER
17.02.2026
[1] Heard Mr. HS Paonam, learned sr. counsel assisted by Mr. S.
Gunabanta, learned counsel for the petitioners.
[2] By the present petition, the 4(four) petitioners who have been
appointed vide order dated 06.01.2022 issued by Joint Secretary to the Govt. of
Manipur as (i) Election Officer in the pay band of Rs. 9,300-348000-4400/- +
Grade Pay Rs. 4400/- notionally from 04.03.2013 (i.e. the date of appointment
of Mr. L.M. Singsit as EO) till 30.08.2019 & (ii) Under Secretaries to the Govt. of
Manipur in the Manipur Civil Service Grade-II in the pay band Rs. 9,300-34800
+ Grade Pay of Rs. 5400 notionally from 30.08.2019 (i.e. the date on which Mr.
L.M. Singsit was promoted to MCS Grade-II). It is stated that the 4 petitioners
will be above Mr. L.M. Singsit in the seniority list of MCS Grade-II Officers. It is
also stated that the order dated 06.01.2022 has been challenged by private
respondent nos. 8 to 17 herein in W.P. (C) No. 854 of 2024 and vide order dated
18.12.2024, this Court observed that while preparing the final seniority list of the
tentative seniority list dated 10.02.2022 of MCS Officers, the position of the
officers shall be considered strictly in terms of the principle in "K. Megachandra
Singh vs. Ningam Siro" reported as '(2020) 5 SCC 689, para 28'.
Thereafter, another tentative seniority list dated 07.01.2026 has been issued by
Joint Secretary (DP), Govt. of Manipur for MCS Grade-II. In the said tentative
list, the petitioners herein are placed in serial nos. 39 to 42, Mr. L.M. Singsit is
at serial no. 43 and respondent nos. 8 to 17 are from serial nos. 47 to 56.
However, one of the petitioners i.e. petitioner no. 2 submitted a detailed
representation dated 22.01.2026 to the Joint Secretary (DP), Govt. of Manipur
for justifying their placement at serial nos. 39-42. But, in the final seniority list
dated 04.02.2026 issued by the Joint Secretary (DP), Govt. of Manipur, the
positions of the petitioners have been pushed down from serial nos. 39-42 to 59-
62 and Mr. L.M. Singsit has placed at serial no. 41 and private respondent nos.
8 to 17 are placed above the petitioners from serial nos. 43 to 52 thereby,
upgrading their positions from serial nos. 47 to 56 in the tentative seniority list.
[3] Mr. HS Paonam, learned sr. counsel for the petitioners submits
that in terms of the appointment order dated 06.01.2022, the 4 petitioners
should be at least above Mr. L.M. Singsit which is at serial no. 41 in the impugned
final seniority list dated 04.02.2026. Besides this, the learned sr. counsel also
raises certain points that the private respondent nos. 8 to 17 are appointed in
the subsequent recruitment years and cannot be placed above the petitioners. It
is prayed that final seniority list dated 04.02.2026 be stayed or status quo as on
date be maintained.
[4] Issue notice.
[5] Mr. A. Bheigya Meitei, learned jr. Govt. counsel assisting Mr. H.
Debendra, learned Dy. AG accepts notice on behalf of respondent nos. 1 & 2,
Ms. S. Gitanjali, learned counsel appearing on behalf of Mrs. O. Momota, learned
sr. counsel accepts notice on behalf of respondent no. 3 and Mr. H. Prabirkumar,
learned counsel appearing on caveat accepts notice on behalf of respondent no.
13.
[6] Petitioners are directed to take steps on the unserved respondent
nos. 4 to 12 & 14 to 23 by speed post and dasti in addition and file affidavit of
proof of service.
[7] Mr. H. Debendra, learned Dy. AG submits that the respondent
nos. 8 to 17 have already filed a writ petition being W.P. (C) No. 854 of 2024
challenging the appointment order dated 06.01.2022 of the 4 petitioners
confined to seniority position and vide order dated 18.12.2024 in W.P. (C) No.
854 of 2024, this Court passed an interim order and interim order is still
subsisting and it is submitted that all the writ petitions be tagged together and
the matter may be disposed of after hearing all the parties.
[8] Mr. H. Prabirkumar, learned counsel for the respondent no. 13
submits that he was promoted to the post of MCS Grade-II on 11.02.2021 and
must prior to the appointment of the petitioners on 06.01.2022 and the position
of the respondent no. 13 has been correctly reflected in the impugned final
seniority list dated 04.02.2026. It is also submitted that respondent nos. 8 to 17
have also filed W.P. (C) No. 854 of 2024 challenging the appointment order dated
06.01.2022 of the petitioners herein and their placement in the tentative seniority
list dated 10.02.2022 above respondent nos. 8 to 17 (herein). It is pointed out
that the petitioners have been appointed on 06.01.2022 retrospectively against
supernumerary post notionally w.e.f. 04.03.2013 & 30.08.2019. There writ
petitions are connected and may be listed together.
[9] The learned sr. counsel for the petitioners submit that all
petitioners appeared in the recruitment started in the year, 2010 and filed writ
petition challenging appointment of Mr. L.M. Singsit, respondent no. 4 herein in
the year, 2014 and the appointment letter dated 06.01.2022 was issued in
compliance of the direction of this Court.
[10] This Court is of the opinion that the present case and writ petition
being W.P. (C) No. 854 of 2024 filed by the private respondent nos. 8 to 17 have
common issue and may be tagged together for proper appreciation of the facts
and disposal. It is stated that the W.P. (C) No. 854 of 2024 is pending in the
Court of Hon'ble Mr. Justice A. Bimol Singh. In the circumstances, this matter is
placed before Hon'ble Chief Justice on the administrative side for listing the
present W.P. (C) No. 110 of 2026 and W.P. (C) No. 854 of 2024 before the
appropriate Bench.
[11] It is clarified that further promotion, if any, in terms of the
impugned final seniority list dated 04.02.2026 quo the petitioners and private
respondents in W.P. (C) No. 110 of 2026, be kept on hold till the next date.
[12] Registry is directed to place this matter before the Hon'ble Chief
Justice on administrative side for listing before appropriate Bench.
JUDGE
Thoiba
KABORAMB Digitally signed by
KABORAMBAM LARSON
AM LARSON Date: 2026.02.18
17:23:22 +05'30'
