HC Puts Pharmacist Recruitment on Hold Amid Cheating Racket Allegations
New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice of motion on a petition seeking cancellation of the written examination conducted for the recruitment of 454 Pharmacist (Pharmacy Officer), Group-C posts in the Punjab Department of Health and Family Welfare.
The petition alleges that the examination was compromised by an organised inter-state cheating racket, casting serious doubts over the integrity of the recruitment process.
According to a report by The Tribune, Justice Sandeep Moudgil, while issuing notice to the State of Punjab, directed that the ongoing recruitment process would remain subject to the outcome of the writ petition. The petition, filed by Keshav Kamboj and other candidates through counsel Sarthak Gupta, seeks to set aside the written examination held on July 19, which was conducted pursuant to the recruitment advertisement issued on June 11. The petitioners have also sought quashing of all consequential steps arising from the examination, including the evaluation of answer sheets and the preparation or declaration of results.
The petitioners contended that the entire examination process stood irreversibly tainted due to an organised, technologically sophisticated inter-state cheating network. Referring to the official press release issued on July 19 and the FIR registered on July 20, they argued that the recruitment process had been fundamentally compromised, rendering it unconstitutional and arbitrary, “in complete negation of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India”.
While taking up the matter, Justice Moudgil recorded the appearance of the State's counsel and observed, “Since the state-respondents were served with an advance copy of the petition, TPS Walia, AAG, Punjab, puts an appearance on behalf of respondent-state and prays for time to file written statement.”
The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 10. Directing the State to file its response before the next hearing, the Court ordered, “Reply, if any, be filed before the next date of hearing, with advance copy be supplied to the counsel for the petitioner…. Further selection process would be subject to outcome of the present writ petition.”
The Tribune reported that the High Court's interim order effectively keeps the recruitment process under judicial scrutiny until the writ petition is finally decided.
