High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
JSSC CGL case: HC wants time-bound CID update, denies govt more time
Justice Deepak Roshan’s bench questioned the pace of the CID investigation into JSSC-CGL recruitment irregularities and rejected the government’s request for a week’s extension to file its affidavit, ordering a response within 48 hours.
The Jharkhand High Court wants a time-bound update on the CID’s investigation into the JSSC-CGL recruitment irregularities, with Justice Deepak Roshan’s bench questioning the probe’s pace at Tuesday’s hearing.
The government said it would submit a sealed-cover report on the investigation’s progress, but the court turned down its request for a week’s extension to file a detailed affidavit.
Instead, the bench ordered the state to clarify its position within 48 hours, noting the case affects numerous candidates’ futures and cannot be allowed to drag on further.
The court’s interim stay on 99 candidates appointed under Advertisement No. 10/2023 continues, with the matter next listed for September 18.
The case stems from the government’s August 17 cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam and related recruitment advertisements, triggered by a prolonged student protest over alleged irregularities.
The original cancellation was announced by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on August 17, following a 24-day student protest over alleged recruitment irregularities.
The government simultaneously scrapped all examinations conducted by blacklisted agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited, widening the fallout beyond the CGL exam alone.
The CID’s probe covers recruitment examinations dating back to 2014, making it one of the broadest irregularity investigations the state has ordered in recent years.
A separate committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been tasked with framing rules to prevent future examination irregularities.
A parallel Supreme Court petition filed by activist Harisharan Devgan is separately seeking to transfer the investigation from the state CID to the CBI.
Successful JSSC-CGL candidates who had already secured appointments have previously staged protests, including a human chain and torchlight demonstrations, after the cancellation was announced.
Tuesday’s hearing was the latest in a series of court dates in the case since the cancellation, with the matter now set to return on September 18.
Justice Deepak Roshan is presiding over the case, which centers on the government’s August 17 cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam and related recruitment advertisements.
High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0