Asst Profs’ selection: HC orders sealing of attendance record

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 20

Less than a year after the Punjab and Haryana High Court asserted a doubt has been created in the examination process for selection of assistant professors in Hindi, it has directed the sealing of record pertaining to attendance in the examination centres.

A Division Bench of the High Court has also sought details from the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) regarding the release of multiple roll numbers to the candidates. The direction holds significance as the appellant had alleged that several candidates were issued different roll numbers for encouraging impersonation.

Taking up the matter, the Bench of Justice Mahesh Grover and Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu also directed the production of the sealed record. The Bench added: “The HPSC would give the details of the examinations conducted in the recent past to show as to in how many examinations, multiple applications have been accepted to release multiple roll numbers to the candidates”.

The directions came on an appeal filed by Rajeev against the State of Haryana and other respondents. The case has its genesis in a writ petition for quashing the impugned result dated April 27, 2017, issued by the HPSC for the post of assistant professor (Hindi). A prayer was also made in the writ petition for issuance of directions to the HPSC to re-conduct the written examination for the post of assistant professor (Hindi), which was held on February 26 last year, on the ground that the question paper was leaked. Further prayer was made that a CBI inquiry be ordered into the whole process of selection as many candidates were issued different roll numbers in order to help them and to encourage impersonation.

Acting on the plea, a Single Bench had disposed of the matter with a direction to the Panchkula Deputy Commissioner to ensure that proper efforts were made to recover the phone allegedly used in the process and for arresting the accused, even if the matter had to be referred to the Cyber Crime Cell of the police for retrieving message stated to have been sent out by the accused containing photograph of the examination paper.

The appellant asserted the Single Judge directed that investigation under the supervision of a gazetted officer, eventually to be monitored by the Deputy Commissioner of Police. But, the Judge refused to set aside the result dated April 27, 2017, issued by the HPSC.

“In such matter, directions should have been given by the Single Judge that CBI should investigate the matter and the final result should have been set aside by the court,” he had added.