Ranchi, October 7 (Daily Kiran) : The Jharkhand High Court held a lengthy hearing on Wednesday regarding petitions challenging the state government’s decision to cancel the JSSC CGL exam. The government presented a sealed report indicating a “systematic failure” and significant irregularities in the examination process. Petitioners questioned the rationale behind the complete cancellation, arguing that no evidence has emerged to justify declaring all successful candidates guilty.
The court has adjourned the hearing until Thursday at 11 AM. Senior advocates Meenakshi Arora and Rohitashya Rai, representing the state, defended the cancellation by citing extensive fraud uncovered during the investigation. They reported that over 28 individuals have already been arrested, with the number likely to rise as the inquiry continues.
During the proceedings, the court expressed concern about the length of the ongoing investigation, suggesting that if it persists for three years, it cannot expect the court to wait indefinitely. The judges highlighted the need for justice for approximately 2,700 successful candidates, emphasizing that those who secured their positions based on merit should not be adversely affected without a thorough examination of the circumstances.
The court further questioned how the government could proceed with its claims of “systematic failure” without a serious investigation into the matter. Rajiv Ranjan, representing the petitioners, argued that there was no evidence of question paper leaks from any exam center. He pointed out that the issue seems related to prior knowledge of potential questions.
According to Ranjan, 28 candidates in Nepal received information about likely questions, of which 10 were successful. The High Court previously instructed that the results of these 10 candidates remain unpublished, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. The petitioners contended that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been investigating for over two years without filing any charges, making it inappropriate to annul the entire exam without clarity on who is guilty or innocent.
Another argument presented was that both the High Court and Supreme Court had already provided guidelines on the matter, stressing the importance of distinguishing between guilty and innocent candidates.
It is noteworthy that based on findings from the CID investigation, the state government ordered the cancellation of the JSSC CGL exam along with 21 other examinations on August 18, putting six processes on hold and subjecting 17 exams to further investigation. Many candidates have challenged this order.
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