E-Paper
2019 constables’ recruitment: Lawyers’ report raises serious doubts on selections: HC
Matter pertains to recruitment of constables in 2018-2019. Allegations are that while some candidates were awarded five additional marks and got selected under socio-economic criteria, others were not awarded and remained unsuccessful. Cases pertaining to this recruitment have been pending in HC since 2019.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has observed that the high court-appointed lawyers’ report to verify alleged discrepancies into the 2019 recruitment of around 5,000 constables “raises serious doubts about the selection process being fair”.
Taking serious note of findings, the high court bench of justice Jaishree Thakur directed that deputy advocate general, Haryana, Shruti Jain to inspect the record currently lying with the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) before April 7 in the presence of secretary of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) and one of the lawyers who was part of the earlier inspection team. The report was prepared by advocates Ravinder Singh Dhull, Rajat and Vishal Sharma, who had inspected the record on the court orders.
The court said that before taking any further decision, the court intended to give an opportunity to the state’s counsel and asked to inspect the record before April 7. The matter will be taken up on April 11 on which date record pertaining to cases where discrepancies have been found by the panel is to be produced.
The report had suggested several discrepancies into allotment of additional five marks to some of the selected candidates under the socio-economic criteria of being orphan. The several selected candidates, whose mother is alive and no orphan certificate is attached with the form, have been granted additional marks for being orphan, the report stated. The matter pertains to the recruitment of constables in 2018-2019. The allegations are that while some candidates were awarded five additional marks and got selected under the socio-economic criteria, others were not awarded and remained unsuccessful. Cases pertaining to this recruitment have been pending in the high court since 2019. On March 9, the court had sent the record of the recruitment to the director general of police (DGP, vigilance), thus indicating that the matter could be handed over to the vigilance for probe.
