Palanisamy & Ors vs Spl.Tehsildar & Ors

The Supreme Court held that the sole criterion of height for the selection of police constables is arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The Court emphasized that once candidates meet the minimum height requirement, other criteria such as intelligence and physical strength must also be considered. The matter was referred to a larger bench due to disagreement with a prior decision in State of Bihar & Ors. vs. Mal Babu Sharma, which accepted the height criterion as valid. The Court found the dismissal of candidates based on manipulated height measurements to be unjust, as they met the minimum requirements.