Karnataka HC dismisses petition challenging re-exam for recruitment of police sub-inspectors
Bengaluru, Nov 10: The Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed a petition challenging the re-exam for the recruitment of 545 police sub-inspectors.
More than a hundred candidates had challenged the state government's decision to conduct a re-exam, which was announced after the earlier test held on October 3, 2021 was cancelled following a large-scale scam involving senior police officers in the examination process.
A division bench of Justice P S Dinesh Kumar and Justice Shivashankare Gowda read out the operative portion of their judgment, the copy of which is awaited.
The HC also said the government was free to conduct the examination with the help of private organisations.
The examination held in 2021 was written by 54,289 candidates.
The recruitment exam to fill the posts of 545 PSIs ran into controversy after it was revealed that the OMR (optical mark recognition) answer sheets were tampered with to benefit some candidates.
Following the scam and arrest of many police officers and candidates, 52 candidates involved in the scandal were debarred.
The re-examination announced by the government was challenged by successful candidates who were not accused in the scam.
The police registered two FIRs and arrested over 30 people in the case, including several candidates and police officers. The highest ranking officer accused in the scam is the then ADGP Amrit Paul (IPS).
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Judiciary not here to perform Opposition’s role: Former CJI DY Chandrachud
New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, in an exclusive interview with ANI, addressed recent remarks made by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who stated that the Opposition has taken it upon themselves to "do the task of the judiciary." Responding to this, Chandrachud clarified that the judiciary's role is to scrutinise laws and ensure they are consistent with the Constitution, not to serve as an opposition force.
"People should not presume that the judiciary should perform the role of the opposition in Parliament or state legislatures. Too often, there's a misconception that the judiciary must act as an opposition. We are here to scrutinise laws and assess executive action for its consistency with the law and the Constitution," said the former CJI.
He further emphasised that in a democracy, there is a distinct space for political opposition and that using the judiciary to fulfil such a role undermines its primary function. "What people try to do is use the judiciary to shoot from its shoulders and convert the Court into a space for political opposition," Chandrachud remarked.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier commented, "We are alone working on behalf of the media, investigative agencies, and judiciary also. This is the reality of India."
When questioned about interactions with leaders from both the Opposition and the ruling party, Chandrachud explained that social interactions are natural during official meetings, such as those required for appointments. "After official discussions, spending a few minutes socialising over tea is normal. We are human beings after all," he said, adding that such moments do not compromise judicial independence.
Regarding the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to his residence during Ganpati Puja, Chandrachud called it a social courtesy. "Such visits are not unique. Prime Ministers have visited judges’ homes on social occasions or even during times of personal loss. These courtesies do not affect the independence of our work," he said.
In September, PM Modi’s visit to Chandrachud’s residence for Ganpati Puja drew criticism from Opposition parties, including Congress and Trinamool Congress, over potential conflict of interest. However, Chandrachud maintained that these interactions are part of elementary social courtesy and do not impact the judiciary's independence.
