Has the Rajasthan HC Stayed the Order Cancelling SI Recruitment Exam-2021?

Jaipur, Sep 8 (NationPress) The division bench of the Rajasthan High Court has stayed the earlier decision made by a single bench that cancelled the Sub-Inspector (SI) Recruitment Exam-2021. However, it's important to note that the selected candidates will not receive field postings until further notice. The court has also sent a notice to the state government regarding this matter.

The appeal, which was filed by Amar Singh and other selected sub-inspectors, was heard on Monday by the division bench led by Justice S.P. Sharma.

Senior advocate R.N. Mathur represented the petitioners. The appellants contended that the cancellation order from the single bench was incorrect, especially since the government itself did not support the scrapping of the recruitment.

They emphasized that the Special Operations Group (SOG) had already apprehended those implicated in the paper leak, thereby enabling a separation between ‘tainted’ and ‘genuine’ candidates.

Thus, the decision to cancel the entire recruitment was labeled as “illegal and unfair.”

Legal experts, including Pratik Kasliwal and the petitioner’s attorney Harendra Neel, noted that courts typically grant a stay in such circumstances, as the majority of candidates are genuine aspirants.

They argued that cancellation would lead to “immediate dismissal” for those already in training or on job rolls. If the stay had not been issued, the government would have been compelled to terminate all trainees and restart the recruitment process.

Experts remarked that a stay from the division bench was highly likely under such conditions.

RPSC Chairman U.R. Sahu mentioned that the matter is currently in the government’s hands, and the Commission no longer has any role in it.

On August 28, Justice Sameer Jain of the single bench had cancelled the SI Recruitment-2021, which was conducted for 859 positions, after several trainee sub-inspectors were implicated in the paper leak.

In a detailed 202-page ruling, the court determined that the recruitment process was compromised due to extensive leaks involving six RPSC members, and even a Bluetooth gang had gained access to the exam.

The court instructed that these positions should be included in the 2025 recruitment cycle and that all candidates from 2021 should be permitted to reappear.

The ruling also indicated that former RPSC chairman Sanjay Shrotriya and five members played an “active role” in the leak, compromising confidentiality even before the paper reached the printing stage.

The court pointed out that evidence indicated members such as Manju Sharma, Sangeeta Arya, and Jaswant Rathi influenced interviews for their associates’ children, showcasing systematic corruption.

The order detailed how candidates’ appearances were disclosed in advance to panel members. The court further noted that a handwritten copy of the exam paper was leaked prior to printing, revealing deep-rooted internal betrayal within the Commission.