HC grants relief to cops who were part of STF to nab Veerappan

Madurai: Madras high court has granted relief to several police personnel who were part of the Special Task Force (STF) that nabbed forest brigand Veerappan by directing the state not to recover the benefits derived by them during their service as sub-inspectors of police from the date of their promotion.The court was hearing a batch of appeals preferred by police personnel (appellants) challenging the order of a single bench, which had dismissed their plea against the GO that reverted them to a lower post.The appellants were originally appointed as police constables in 2002. They were promoted as naik in 2004. Thereafter, within a short span of about five months, they were promoted as havildar on a temporary basis. At the time of promoting the appellants, it was clearly indicated that the promotions were purely on a temporary basis and the same would not confer any right or merit to further promotion. Subsequently, the govt issued a GO granting one-stage accelerated promotion to more than 900 police personnel in various ranks in recognition of the courageous act of encounter and killing of Veerappan and his gang. Later, the govt issued a GO in 2007 clarifying the position that accelerated promotion is not extended to accelerate seniority and indicated that the seniority between the accelerated promotees and the general promotees in the promoted category shall continue to be governed by their panel position.In 2009, a GO was issued reverting all the appellants to the rank of naik. The appellants moved court challenging the GO and consequential orders. In 2025, the single judge dismissed their petitions.A division bench of justice N Sathish Kumar and justice M Jothiraman observed that a combined reading of the rules governing temporary appointments and the original promotion rules shows it is evident that for promotion as naik, a candidate must have completed two years of service in the rank of Grade II police constable, and for promotion as havildar, he must be an approved probationer in the cadre of naik.However, the appellants were promoted as havildar from naik within a short span, immediately after their temporary promotion and without being approved probationers, which is contrary to the rules. Therefore, merely because accelerated promotions were mistakenly granted, the appellants cannot now contend that they are entitled to seniority on that basis. Consequently, they were rightly reverted. The judges observed that the state has now taken a stand that since the appellants are working as SI and are eligible for regular promotion as SI only from 2023, and as they are already functioning in that post, their position shall not be reverted. Since the promotion was wrongly granted by the state and as the appellants had also participated in risk operations, braving their lives as part of the STF in killing Veerappan, all the benefits derived by them during their service as SIs from the date of their promotion shall not be recovered by the state, the judges directed.