Jharkhand HC Fines JPSC Rs.1 Lakh for Denying Post to Top-Scoring Candidate

Ranchi – The Jharkhand High Court has imposed a ?1 lakh fine on the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) for unjustly rejecting the application of Manoj Kumar Kachhap, a meritorious candidate for the post of Assistant Professor in Nagpuri.

A division bench led by Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao upheld a previous ruling directing JPSC to appoint Kachhap, who had scored 72.10 out of 85 in academic evaluation. His application was discarded due to a technical glitch in fee payment, though his name was never listed in the rejection list.

Kachhap filed a writ petition and was eventually interviewed under court orders. His marks, submitted in a sealed envelope, showed he was the top performer. The court held that a technical error cannot be used to deny a deserving candidate and ordered his appointment within four weeks.

Rejecting JPSC's appeal, the bench also criticized its rigid stance, especially since ST candidates are often exempt from fee payment. The court fined JPSC ?1 lakh for its negligence and wrongful denial.

With inputs from IANS