In a major setback to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), the Rajasthan High Court on Thursday quashed the controversial 2021 police sub-inspector recruitment examination after finding large-scale irregularities and a paper leak scam.
Justice Sameer Jain, while delivering a detailed judgment, observed that the examination process was vitiated by “illegality and fraud on the system.” The court criticised the state government for its inaction, noting that despite glaring evidence, no decisive steps were taken.
Senior advocate Major R.P. Singh, who represented the petitioners, welcomed the verdict, saying, “Illegality and fraud on the system was so conspicuous. It is strange that the state government did not take any decision on the subject. The court’s decision hopefully will act as a deterrent for the gangs playing with the future of youths.”
The exam had turned into a political flashpoint, with both the previous Congress government and the current BJP-led administration facing criticism over the handling of the matter. Despite mounting pressure during the 2023 assembly elections, the BJP government chose not to cancel the exam.
The single-judge bench also referred the case to a division bench to examine the role of RPSC members, who have been accused of being complicit in the scam. The court emphasised the need for accountability within the commission to restore public faith in recruitment processes.
The RPSC had advertised 859 posts for sub-inspector and platoon commander in 2021. However, allegations of a paper leak soon surfaced, prompting the government to hand over the investigation to the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police.
The SOG probe led to the arrest of over 50 trainee sub-inspectors along with several others allegedly linked to the leak. Despite these findings, a state cabinet sub-committee had earlier recommended that the exam should not be cancelled—a position now overturned by the High Court.
The cancellation order is expected to affect hundreds of aspirants who had cleared the recruitment process. The matter will now be closely monitored as the division bench takes up the inquiry into RPSC’s functioning and its alleged role in the recruitment scam.
