HC puts Haryana on notice over PTI aspirants’ plea

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 4

Less than a fortnight after an examination was held for appointing Physical Training Instructors (PTI) amid the rising number of Covid cases, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday put the State of Haryana on notice on a petition alleging paper leak and non-maintenance of secrecy.

The notice by Justice Avneesh Jhingan came on the petition filed against the state, Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) and the Director, Elementary Education, by Jitender Kumar and 38 other candidates.

They were seeking directions for quashing the examination held on August 23. Claiming that the mandatory procedure was not followed by the board and the seating arrangement was “biased”, the petitioners also alleged that even biometric attendance was not properly done.

Appearing through videoconferencing, counsel for the petitioners Ravinder Bangar said the exercise was carried out in a “pick-and-choose manner”.

Seeking 20 grace marks, Bangar added even the paper could not be completed on time in the absence of clocks in the halls. Besides, prior intimation was not given to the candidates before the completion of time for attempting the paper.

Directions were also sought to the respondents for stay on the result of the written examination/final selection for the posts during the pendency of the writ petition on the alleged ground that approximately 15 to 20 per cent questions were either out of syllabus, were wrong, had erroneous answers, no answers or similar answers.

Bangar also prayed for direction to the respondents to take legal action through the Director General of Police against the persons involved in the paper leak scandal. In alternative, directions were sought for handing over the probe to a special investigation team for exposing the scandal.

In an attempt to substantiate his arguments, the counsel also referred to an FIR registered on August 23 at HTM police station in Hisar, while claiming that “a few persons were caught by the invigilators”.

Bangar added some of the candidates entered an exam centre along with the answer key. They were not checked at the entry point. The contentions, he added, could easily be proved from the already installed CCTV cameras in the centres, unless the management deleted the recording.

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