The Chhattisgarh High Court has issued a temporary stay on the ongoing recruitment process for police constables in the state, following allegations of discriminatory practices favoring children of police officials.
Justice Rakesh Mohan Pandey ordered the pause on Tuesday, responding to a petition by Bed Ram Tandon who argued that the special concessions granted to police officers’ children under the current recruitment guidelines were unjust. The case arose after an advertisement on October 20, 2023, by the police department, called for applications to fill vacancies in the constable cadre, specifically in the General Duty category, in Rajnandgaon district among others.
The petitioner’s son, a resident of Rajnandgaon, had applied for one of the 143 available posts but faced unexpected competition due to amendments in the recruitment process. According to Tandon’s lawyer, Ravi Kumar Bhagat, the Chhattisgarh Director General of Police had recommended to the Home Department that children of serving police personnel and former servicemen be given exemptions or concessions under Rule 9(5) of the 2007 recruitment rules. These relaxations spanned nine different parameters, including the physical test requirements, which were swiftly approved by the department.
The petitioner argued that these modifications introduce an unfair advantage and discriminate against general candidates, violating principles of equal opportunity. “Looking to the fact that the Director General of Police has framed Rules extending relaxation to the children of police officials only, therefore, the selection process pursuant to the advertisement dated October 20, 2023, shall remain stayed till the next date of hearing,” the court declared, scheduling the next hearing for two weeks later.
