In Brief
The Supreme Court set aside a High Court judgment that modified a select list of 832 candidates for the post of Assistant Inspector of Motor Vehicles in Maharashtra. The respondent Rajesh Fate, who had not participated in the recruitment process, filed a writ petition challenging the recruitment rules after the select list was published. Although the High Court held that Fate could not challenge the advertisements, it went on to modify the select list by removing candidates who lacked certain qualifications. The Supreme Court held this was contradictory and impermissible: (1) Fate lacked standing to indirectly challenge the advertisements by attacking the rules; (2) the 832 selected candidates were necessary parties whose absence rendered the High Court's direction invalid; and (3) a service matter cannot be treated as a Public Interest Litigation. The appeals were allowed and the writ petition dismissed."
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