Patna: The Supreme Court of India has declined to hear a petition seeking the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) 70th preliminary examination, advising the petitioner to approach the Patna High Court instead. The plea, which also called for action against the district authorities responsible for the police’s use of force during a protest by candidates, was dismissed as a High Court matter.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, directed the petitioner to file a case under Article 226 in the appropriate High Court. The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the alleged police brutality during the protests had drawn nationwide attention, but the bench maintained that the issue should first be addressed at the High Court level.
The petition, filed by Anand Legal and Forum Trust, alleged widespread malpractice during the exam and sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge.
Prashant Kishor: “Patna High Court the Next Step”
In response to the case reaching the Supreme Court, Prashant Kishor, leader of the Jansuraj Party, clarified before his recent arrest that no petition had been filed in the apex court by any trust affiliated with his organisation. “Our legal team has advised against directly approaching the Supreme Court as it would lead to rejection. The petition will be filed in the Patna High Court on January 7,” Kishor said.
A Troubled Recruitment Process
The notification for the BPSC 70th Combined Civil Services Examination was issued on September 20, 2024, offering 1,964 posts – the largest vacancy in BPSC history. However, the process was marred by repeated changes and delays. The advertised positions were updated five times, and the exam date was extended thrice, fuelling confusion and unrest among candidates.
Protests erupted ahead of the exam, with demonstrators demanding the implementation of a normalization process. When candidates attempted to surround the BPSC office, they were met with a police lathi charge. Khan Sir and Guru Rehman, prominent educators supporting the students, were briefly detained. Meanwhile, student leader Dilip Kumar was arrested and jailed.
On December 13, the day of the preliminary examination, chaos broke out at Patna’s Bapu Center over delays in distributing the question paper. The situation escalated when Patna District Magistrate Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh slapped a protesting candidate. Following the incident, the exam at the centre was cancelled and rescheduled for December 16.
Background and Next Steps
The petition’s rejection by the Supreme Court marks a significant hurdle for those seeking redress over alleged irregularities in the examination process. As the matter moves to the Patna High Court, all eyes will be on whether it orders an independent investigation or grants relief to the aggrieved candidates.
