In a significant development,the Punjab and Haryana High Court has paved the way to hold examinations for the post of assistant sub-inspector. Shouldering the stain of the police recruitment scam,which came to light in 2008,the Chandigarh Administration had decided not to hold the examination. A division bench,headed by Justice M M Kumar,has stayed the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT),Chandigarh,which had said that a fact-finding inquiry will be held by the UT Home Secretary. Admitting a bunch of petitions,the division bench stayed the order,which means the Home Secretary will not need to hold any inquiry into the matter. The recruitments made in 2008 were nullified by the Chandigarh Police after Newsline carried a series of news items exposing the scam. Certain selected candidates,however,who had not indulged in any malpractices,had moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The Tribunal had also ordered the Chandigarh Police to separate tainted selected candidates from non-tainted ones. As a matter of transparency and propriety,the Administration had decided not to hold the examination. Aggrieved over the CAT directions,the Administration had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Appearing on behalf of the Administration,senior standing counsel Advocate Sanjay Kaushal argued the petitions,which continued for three days. Two constables of the Chandigarh Police Shamsher Singh and Amardeep Singh were arrested on charges of facilitating paper-leak and paying Rs 10 lakh to the prime accused Joginder Dahiya to get the solved question paper. Amardeep Singh had appeared in the ASI recruitment exam and was selected. The Chandigarh Polices own men,allegedly in connivance with a few conmen,who were already facing similar charges,took lakhs from aspiring candidates to provide them with the question papers.
