The Jharkhand High Court questioned the pace of the CID’s investigation into the JSSC-CGL recruitment irregularities, with Justice Deepak Roshan’s bench asking the government for a clear, time-bound update on the probe at Tuesday’s hearing.
The state said it would submit a sealed-cover report on the investigation’s progress, but the court rejected its separate request for a week’s extension to file an affidavit detailing the probe’s status.
The bench ordered the government to clarify its position within 48 hours, stressing that the case involves the futures of numerous candidates and cannot be subjected to unnecessary delays.
The court’s interim stay protecting 99 candidates appointed under Advertisement No. 10/2023 remains in effect, with the next hearing set for September 18.
The case originates from the government’s August 17 cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam and related recruitment advertisements, following weeks of student protests over alleged irregularities.
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.
The court’s interim stay protects 99 candidates appointed under Advertisement No. 10/2023, in a case filed by petitioner Akash Gaurav and 98 others.
The petitioners are represented by senior counsel and former Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan, along with advocate Shreya Mishra.
High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
