New Delhi, March 17 (NationPress) The Delhi High Court has overturned a ruling from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) which had instructed the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to carry out a new medical evaluation for a candidate deemed medically unfit during the recruitment process for the Constable (Executive) position within the Delhi Police.

A Division Bench comprising Justices Anil Kshetrapal and Amit Mahajan granted a writ petition submitted by the SSC and additional authorities that contested CAT’s order dated August 20, 2024, which mandated the formation of a new medical board to assess Yashpal Singh, the respondent.

The candidate participated in the SSC recruitment process and passed earlier stages, but after undergoing a Detailed Medical Examination (DME) on January 25, 2024, the medical board found him unfit due to varicose veins in his left leg. Following this, he requested a Review Medical Examination (RME), which confirmed the DME’s conclusions, once again declaring him unfit for the position.

Later, the candidate presented a medical certificate from a government hospital issued on March 30, 2024, indicating he was medically fit for competitive or non-competitive exams. Relying on this certificate, he appealed to the CAT, challenging the DME and RME findings. The CAT accepted his appeal and ordered a new medical examination by a different medical board.

However, the Delhi High Court determined that the tribunal had overstepped its jurisdiction regarding medical fitness assessments in recruitment for disciplined services. Justice Kshetrapal’s Bench noted, “The established legal framework governing judicial review in medical fitness matters indicates that such determinations fall primarily within the expertise of Medical Boards.”

The bench emphasized that both medical boards had unanimously concluded regarding the respondent's medical condition. “There is clear agreement in the medical evaluations between the DME and the RME concerning the Respondent's condition,” the judgment stated.

Additionally, the court pointed out that the general fitness certificate provided by the candidate did not specifically affirm his fitness for the Constable (Executive) role in Delhi Police. “Allowing candidates to depend on independently obtained medical documents for repeated examinations would compromise the integrity and finality of the recruitment process,” the bench remarked.

The judgment underscored that courts should not replace the opinions of expert medical boards unless there is a procedural violation, discrepancies in assessments, or extraordinary circumstances. By nullifying the CAT’s order, the Delhi High Court concluded that directing a new medical examination based solely on the candidate's certificate represented an unwarranted interference with expert opinions.

The bench determined, “The Tribunal lacked justification in mandating a fresh medical examination solely based on the certificate dated 30.03.2024 presented by the candidate.” With this ruling, the Delhi High Court dismissed the CAT’s order and resolved the matter.