The Rajasthan government presented a firm stance before the High Court on Wednesday, arguing that the controversial SI Recruitment-2021 process should not be cancelled in its entirety. The state's legal team contended that isolated irregularities do not justify scrapping the entire selection, which impacts thousands of honest candidates.
State's Core Argument: No Proof of Systemic Malpractice
Appearing before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sangeeta Sharma, the government's counsel emphasized a crucial legal point. They cited the precedent set by the Supreme Court in the Vanshika Yadav case. The apex court had ruled that an entire recruitment drive can only be annulled if "systematic irregularities at a widespread and organised level" are proven.
The state asserted that in the current case of the Sub-Inspector recruitment, no such concrete evidence has emerged to suggest the entire process was tainted. Their argument was clear: without proof of large-scale, organised wrongdoing, the selection system cannot be deemed corrupt as a whole.
Multi-Level Selection Process Defended
The government detailed the extensive, multi-stage procedure followed for the recruitment, which included:
- A written examination
- Personal interviews
- A rigorous physical examination
This structured process, the state argued, was designed to ensure fairness and comprehensive assessment. The counsel further stated that if specific candidates are found to have benefited from irregularities, individual action can be taken against them. However, punishing all selected candidates for the faults of a few would be unjust.
"This should not be used to play with the future of a large number of honest candidates," the government pleaded, highlighting the human cost of cancellation.
Court Adjourns Hearing to Thursday
The hearing pertains to appeals filed by the state government and others against a previous order from a single-judge bench that had cancelled the recruitment. After the state completed its arguments on Wednesday, the division bench adjourned the hearing to Thursday for further proceedings.
The court's upcoming decision is highly anticipated, as it will determine the fate of the recruitment process and set a significant precedent for how similar cases of alleged irregularities are handled in the future. The outcome will directly impact numerous candidates who have been awaiting their appointment.
