The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday, August 28, annulled the police Sub-Inspector recruitment examination conducted in 2021, citing large-scale irregularities, including a paper leak and the alleged involvement of Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) members.
Justice Sameer Jain of the Jaipur Bench, who had earlier reserved the order after extensive hearings on a writ petition filed by 25 candidates, delivered the verdict in open court, as per a report by The Hindu.
Declaring both the exam and the subsequent selection of candidates “null and void,” the court held that the recruitment process stood vitiated by “illegality and fraud on the system.”
The court also came down heavily on the State government, noting its failure to take decisive action despite the availability of strong evidence. The BJP-led State government had argued against scrapping the exam, maintaining that it would be premature to cancel it before the Rajasthan police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) completed its investigation.
A Cabinet Sub-Committee had also opposed cancellation, pointing out that, according to the SOG’s probe, only 6.3 per cent of the examinees were found tainted, while 93.7 per cent appeared clean.
Background
The exam, held in September 2021 to recruit 859 Sub-Inspectors and platoon commanders, was marred by controversy soon after. Multiple FIRs were registered in connection with the case, and 122 people, including 55 trainees and two RPSC members, were arrested. Many of those held were accused of acting as dummy candidates or engaging in other malpractices.
The court stressed that separating genuine candidates from those who benefitted from the leak was impossible.
Acknowledging the plight of honest aspirants, Justice Jain remarked, “If even a single candidate were to become a Station House Officer through a leaked paper, it would not be right.”
The judgment directed that the 859 posts filled through the tainted exam be merged with the 1,015 fresh vacancies recently advertised by the RPSC. Candidates who had cleared the cancelled 2021 test will be permitted to apply again for the 2025 recruitment process, added The Hindu.
