JSSC-CGL Appointments: Jharkhand High Court Keeps Stay Intact, Government Gets 48 Hours to Respond

The Jharkhand High Court has continued its interim protection against the state government’s decision to cancel appointments made following the JSSC-CGL examination, providing relief to hundreds of candidates selected through the recruitment process.

The matter came up for hearing before Justice Deepak Roshan on petitions filed by newly appointed officers challenging the government’s decision. The petitioners include Niroj Kumar Khes, Ramesh Oraon and several other candidates whose appointments have been affected by the government’s action concerning examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

During the hearing, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for the state government, sought additional time to file the government’s response. However, considering the seriousness of the matter, the court declined to grant a lengthy extension and directed the state to submit its reply within 48 hours.

The next hearing has been scheduled for September 17. Until then, the interim stay on the government’s decision remains in force, meaning the appointments of the selected officers continue to receive protection from the cancellation order. The court’s next hearing is expected to provide greater clarity on the government’s stand and the future course of the case.

The court also made an oral observation regarding the investigation into the matter. It said that it had full faith in the police, but noted that the pace of the investigation appeared to have slowed after the initial stage. The court indicated that it would continue to monitor the investigation and the facts emerging from it.

The petitioners were represented by former Advocate General and senior advocate Rajiv Ranjan, senior advocate Indrajeet Sinha and other members of the legal team.

With the state now required to file its response within 48 hours, attention has shifted to the September 17 hearing, when the High Court is expected to consider the government’s stand and determine the further course of proceedings.

Importantly, the High Court has not yet delivered a final judgment on the petitions challenging the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL appointments. The protection granted to the selected candidates at this stage is interim in nature and does not amount to a final decision on the legality of the government’s cancellation order.