SI recruitment: Rajasthan HC gives state govt final deadline until May 15

Jaipur, May 5 The Rajasthan High Court on Monday gave the state government a final deadline of May 15 to make a decision regarding the controversial Sub-Inspector (SI) Recruitment 2021.

During a hearing on the matter, Additional Advocate General (AAG) Vigyan Shah informed the court that no decision has been reached yet despite the court’s earlier directive issued on February 21, which gave the government two months to act.

A meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee is scheduled for May 13. In light of this, the AAG requested additional time.

However, Justice Sameer Jain firmly stated that the court is granting the government one last opportunity.

"The government must submit its decision by May 15. If it fails to do so, the court will proceed to deliver its verdict after hearing the case," he said.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stepped into the investigation. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) R.D. Rastogi informed the court that the ED has initiated a preliminary probe and filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).

The agency has received permission from the PMLA court to interrogate two key accused - Harshvardhan Kumar Meena and Rajendra Yadav - who are already under arrest.

The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) had announced recruitment for 859 posts of Sub-Inspector and Platoon Commander in 2021. Following allegations of a paper leak, the government handed over the investigation to the Special Operations Group (SOG), which arrested several individuals, including trainee SIs.

Multiple petitions were subsequently filed in the High Court, demanding the cancellation of the entire recruitment process. Petitioners’ counsel Harendra Neel pointed out that the court had previously ordered a status quo on the recruitment through orders dated November 18, January 6, and January 9.

Following these, the Police Headquarters imposed a complete ban on field training on January 10, which remains in effect.

The case includes the petitioners, the state government, and the trainee sub-inspectors as parties. While the petitioners argue for the recruitment’s cancellation - citing recommendations from the SOG, Police Headquarters, Advocate General, and Cabinet Sub-Committee - the trainee SIs claim innocence.

“We are not involved in any malpractice. Many of us left other government jobs for this opportunity. Cancelling the recruitment would be unjust,” the trainees contend.

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