Paper leak charges: Jharkhand High Court stays JSSC recruitment exam result, orders cops to file FIR

Ranchi (Jharkhand): Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday stayed the final result of the recruitment examination conducted by the state staff selection commission in September.

The court also ordered the government to ensure that the police register an FIR on complaint of question paper leak made by candidates and conduct the investigation.

A division bench of Chief Justice MS Ramchandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan were hearing a public interest litigation filed by one Prakash Kumar.

The court also ordered the police to furnish a report in this matter. The case will again be heard on January 22 next year.

The Jharkhand General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination (JGGLCCE) was conducted on September 21 and September 22, in which 3.04 lakh candidates had appeared.

A section of candidates has been protesting over the JGGLCC examination, through which recruitment will be made in mostly junior-level posts in the government, alleging that widespread malpractices took place in the examination.

An FIR was lodged online by one Rajesh Prasad in this matter, seeking investigation and action by the police. However, no action was taken by the police.

Thereafter, petitioner Prakash Kumar moved the high court and sought a CBI or a judicial probe into the matter through a public interest litigation.

The court was also informed that though a special investigating team has been formed by the state government, the action of the team does not seem to be transparent. No investigation done by the SIT has been brought to light and therefore the petitioner has prayed for an impartial enquiry by the CBI in the matter.

The court order came amid the document verification exercise of the recruitment examination that started on Monday.

Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) has called 2,231 shortlisted candidates for document verification between December 16 and December 20.

In protest against the document verification, a section of the candidates assembled near the JSSC office on Monday. The students said that the commission should not conduct document verification when the matter was pending with the High Court.

Police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the agitating candidates, who assembled under the aegis of Jharkhand State Students' Union (JSSU). Police also detained JSSU leader Devendra Nath Mahto along with two others.

The Ranchi administration has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNS within the 500-metre radius of the SSC office from 5.30 am on Saturday to 8 pm on December 20.

Jharkhand BJP welcomed the high court's order and termed it a victory of agitating candidates.

"The order is a victory of the candidates' struggle and a defeat of the arrogance of the Hemant Soren government," Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi posted on X.

He reiterated that a CBI probe is required into the matter for a transparent result.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand BJP on Tuesday took out a protest march in the state capital in protest against the lathi-charge on the students.