A Division bench of the Jharkhand High Court has directed to maintain status quo and ordered issue of notices to all applicants challenging the single bench judgement regarding the selection of candidates in the 6th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination. The single bench of Justice S K Dwivedi had earlier on June 7 cancelled the merit list for the sixth JPSC examination results and sought a fresh one in eight weeks.
In an interim relief to 326 candidates selected in the JPSC examination, the division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice S N Prasad on Tuesday directed to maintain status quo and fixed September 28 for the next hearing. During the hearing, the court expressed perplexity over the state government's stand over the issue when Jharkhand Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan told the court that government has decided to implement the order of the single bench. Hence, the government did not appeal against the order.
During the hearing of the case by the single bench, the court said the government had justified the merit list issued by JPSC but the government is changing its decision now. However, the JPSC now expressed consent over the government stand.
JPSC lawyers Sanjay Piparwal and Prince Kumar Singh informed the court that it has filed an appeal challenging the single bench order when the court questioned whether JPSC would challenge the order. Asked whether the appeal was withdrawn, they informed the court that it cannot be without the approval of the court as it was pending in the court.
Lawyer Prasant Bhusan representing the applicants justified the merit list, which complied with all conditions mentioned in the advertisement, issued by JPSC. On completion of the hearing, the Jharkhand Advocate General informed the court that the government has decided to implement the order of the single bench, which meant the merit list would be amended. The government did not challenge the single bench order.
The court, however, commented that the government is changing its stand and become neutral now while cautioned about the threat looming over the job of the applicants. The court admitted that it would be the government's decision whether to file an appeal or not.
