New Delhi/Lucknow, May 25
The Supreme Court today refused to stay an Allahabad High Court order asking the Uttar Pradesh government to reinstate by May 27 about 18,000 constables sacked on the ground that their recruitment was embroiled in a major scam.

A Bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and Deepak Verma directed the Mayawati government to take back the constables on a provisional basis by clearly mentioning in the appointment letters that the recruitment would be subject to the final verdict of the apex court.

The state government had approached the apex court on May 21, challenging the HC order for their reinstatement. According to the Mayawati government, the previous Mulayam Singh regime had recruited the constables, flouting all rules and regulations, shortly before losing power in the assembly polls.

The state government had ordered a high-level probe before summarily sacking the constables.

The Allahabad High Court had earlier ordered the state government to distinguish between the genuine recruits to the police constabulary and those appointed through irregular means in 2006 during the government led by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. The high court had ordered the appointment of genuine recruits after segregating them from the fake ones.

Following the Supreme Court’s rap over the knuckles, the Mayawati government today guaranteed to immediately reinstate around 18,000 dismissed police constables.

Speaking to the mediapersons, special secretary home DK Gupta assured that without further delay the state government would comply with the SC order to reinstate all the dismissed constables immediately.

As per the court’s order, the restoration of the jobs would be done immediately and the sifting of tainted and non-tainted cops would be undertaken in due course, Gupta informed.

Meanwhile, terming apex court’s decision as a victory of the people, the Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav asserted that the SC decision was a vindication of his government’s stand on the issue.