SC upholds sack of Haryana PSC Chairman and all 8 Members

The apex court said persons holding such high offices were expected to display "impeccable intergrity and personal rectitude" and the charges of irregularties misconduct brought against them by the state government were fully established.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Jutices S H Kapadia and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar said in a judgement that here was sufficient evidence to prove that the Chairman and members of PSC had shown undue favouritism in recruiting candidates by tampering with the marks and refusing to furnish records or details of recruitment procees to the state Vigilance Commission even after an inquiry was ordered.
The Chairman and members of the Commission were appointed between 5th July, 2004, and 15th December, 2004, just prior to the coming into force of the model code of conduct for Haryana assembly election.

"The reports of the forensic experts under Section 293 of the Code of Criminal Procedure confirming that there are interpolations, manipulations and alterations in the answer sheets at various places.

"Interestingly, the candidates who had scored very high marks in the written examination were awarded low marks in interview while the candidates who had not fared so well in the written examination were awarded very high marks in the interview", the bench said.

"This is certainly an indication of the arbitrary standards adopted by the private respondents in the selection process and the fact that the candidates were not dealt with equal hand and uniform yardstick," Justice Swatanter Kumar writing the judgement said.

During its tenure, the Commission had made selections and recommended candidates for appointment to various posts in different cadres.

It was stated that some close relatives of then Chief Minister O P Chautala, former Chairman Dr. K.C. Bangar and daughter of DGP M.S. Mallik were selected with disregard to merit.

The Commission comprised of Chairman Mehar Singh Saini and Members Dungar Ram, Chattar Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Satbir Singh, Om Prakash Bishnoi, Ranbir Singh Hooda, R.K. Kashyap and Santos