Ranchi, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : The Jharkhand High Court has upheld its earlier order to stay the state government’s decision to annul appointments made through the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). This ruling was delivered by Justice Deepak Roshan during a hearing on Friday regarding petitions challenging the cancellations of various recruitment exams, including the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) exam conducted by JPSC.
During the proceedings, the court expressed that while it appears not all appointments were conducted properly, it is also evident that not every appointment involved misconduct. Concerns were raised regarding the lengthy process JPSC takes—often two to three years—to conduct exams and finalize appointments. The court noted that canceling a large number of appointments could adversely affect officials who have not been implicated in any wrongdoing.
To oversee the investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process, the court appointed former High Court judge Gautam Kumar Chaudhary. Additionally, retired IPS officer R.K. Malik has been designated as the nodal officer for the investigation. Both the state government and JPSC submitted responses to the court during the hearing.
In its affidavit, the state government defended the decision to annul the JSSC-CGL exam, stating that the entire examination process was compromised by alleged irregularities. The government argued that distinguishing between genuinely successful candidates and those who may have gained unfair advantages was challenging. It cited Supreme Court guidelines that allow for the cancellation of an entire exam if the selection process is deemed tainted and distinguishing between candidates is impossible.
The government further claimed that confidential tasks related to the CGL exam were outsourced to ICN Technology, which included printing question papers and delivering them to exam centers. In connection with the alleged irregularities, 28 individuals, including the CEO of the agency, Somansh Prakash, have been arrested, and 265 others have received notices. The investigation has revealed instances where candidates were reportedly coached on answers in various locations, including Nepal, Asansol, Kolkata, Bihar, Dhanbad, and Bokaro.
According to the government, among the 28 candidates taken to Nepal, ten successfully passed the CGL exam. The investigation is ongoing. Senior advocates Rajeev Ranjan, Indrajeet Sinha, Amritansh Vats, Kumar Harsh, Sonal Tiwari, and Subhash Rasik Sorin represented the petitioners, while the state government was represented by senior advocates Meenakshi Arora and Advocate General Rohitashya Roy, along with JPSC’s advocates Sanjay Piparwal and Prince Kumar.
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