Punjab and Haryana High Court: In the matter where 2 candidates who had topped the Haryana Civil Services (Judicial) examination in General & reserved category, were alleged to have leaked the paper for money, a 3-judge bench of Rajesh Bindal, Tajan Gupta and GS Sandhawalia, JJ has been formed to adjudicate the matter on urgent basis as the result of H.C.S. (Judicial Branch) Preliminary Examination is held up and the entire recruitment process has been put on hold.
On 28.08.2017, the single judge Kuldip Singh, J had referred the matter to a larger bench, considering the urgency of the matter as there is already shortage of judges in subordinate courts and also the fact that the allegation relates not only to the leakage of the Preliminary Examination paper but to the leakage of the whole package involving the main examination, which is yet to be conducted and for which paper was yet to be set and also the process of interview. The single judge had also asked the Registrar (Recruitment) of the Punjab & Haryana High Court to file an affidavit stating as to who had handled the examination papers right from the time it was set till it was distributed in the examination hall and also disclose the names of the officials/officers, who were deputed in handling and printing of the papers officially and whether anybody else entered the room, where the papers were printed without being deputed for the same.
Consequent to the reference of the single judge, the 3-judge bench sat, on 30.08.2017, to hear the matter but listed it on 06.09.2017 after it was brought into it’s notice that the High Court, that is represented through Registrar General, was, in the order dated 16.8.2017, impleaded through Registrar (Recruitment) and hence, necessary correction would require to be carried out.
As per the results of the preliminary examination that was held on 16.07.2017, the 2 girls, who have allegedly leaked the papers, have topped in the general category and reserved category with exceptionally high marks and both have minimum errors. [Suman v. State of Haryana, CRM-M No. 28947 of 2017, order dated 30.078.2017]
