The November 5 written test for the appointment of 300 fourth grade employees in Palamu collectorate has caught in a whirlpool with 60 candidates being sent to jail on the charges of cheating. A total of 10,922 candidates sat for the written test.
So far 60 candidates have been jailed who scored high marks in the written test, sources said. It was their high scoring that raised the eyebrow of the district officials and when during counseling these high scorers were put to a near identical written test they scored far less than their earlier obtained marks. Quite a few dozen candidates did not even appear for this counseling cum re-written test.
DC Ameet Kumar said, “There was a widespread hullabaloo with regard to the sanctity of this written test and when these high scorers failed to achieve the tally of their first obtained marks, we felt strongly that there was some foul play in which the sanctity of this examination might have been defiled and these high scorers might just be a stake holder in it and so criminal cases were lodged against them and they are now in judicial remand.”
A senior criminal lawyer Salabh Singh who is fighting for 11 of these 60 jailed candidates said on Wednesday, “My client Sanjiv Kumar Pandey who obtained 44 marks in November 5 test was forced to take a re-written test again. This time he got 40 marks. The Palamu administration lodged a criminal case against Pandey presuming that his 44 marks that he had obtained earlier was a managed one by surreptitious manner.”
Lawyer Singh vowed he would fight these 11 cases in the court of law with all legal vigour for the bizarre action of the administration.
“If the administration feels that there is unfair means in this November 5 test then its result should not have been published. Its result was duly published. Again the admit card of the candidates has no word on it that a passed out candidate will have to undergo a re-written test if he scores high or low marks but here it was done in all cases. Again there is no clinching evidence or material seized by the magistrate or police to confirm unfair practices have taken place in the Nov 5 test.” Sources said there is no seizure of any chit, note book, electronic devices etc for augmenting this un fairmeans .
The lawyer further questioned sections of IPC namely 406, 409, 418, 420 and 120 (b) which have been invoked against these 60 candidates is a panic reaction as except section 418 and section 3/ 4 of Jharkhand Conduct of Exam Rule all other sections like 406 and 409 are irrelevant since it deals with criminal breach of trust when the fact is that a candidate of this test has never gone into any contract with the administration since admit card issued by the administration to the candidates is no tool of any contract but an entry pass to take examination.
Kishore Pandey president of Palamu Abhiwawak Sangh said, “The fate of these 60 is badly crushed. These are victims but they have been painted as the accused. Who leaked the question, the candidate or the PHS consultancy agency in New Delhi? Why the candidates are so punished ? Has any government official responsible for the conduct of this examination been questioned or interrogated by the police?”
Public anger against the judicial remand of 60 candidates is gaining momentum with every day demand of cancellation of this Nov 5 test .
DC Palamu Ameet Kumar however maintained, “We gave ample opportunity to all those candidates who took a re-written test but scored far less than what they had obtained earlier to furnish a bond detailing all that he/she did or was prompted to do by any external force like coaching centre/ middleman which enabled him/her to score high and those who gave us their account we spared them of any legal action.”
The DC further defending his action said, “There was no other way to reach to the bottom of this kind of racket in such an examination for job and this legal action has been pursued to bring the culprits to justice.”
The DC reiterated that right now there is no reason to cancel this Nov 5 test for 4th grade jobs here as investigation is on and let investigating agency the police reach the logical end of this case first.