Jaipur- The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday cancelled the controversial Sub Inspector (SI) Recruitment-2021, held for 859 posts, after major irregularities and a large-scale paper leak were exposed. Delivering the verdict, the single bench of Justice Sameer Jain observed that the leaked exam paper was spread all over the state and even reached the Bluetooth gang.

The court noted the involvement of six RPSC members in the scam, making it impossible to allow the recruitment. The court analysed the paper leak in three dimensions, which included two RPSC members who were directly involved in leaking the paper, a large number of dummy candidates were planted in the exam, and the gangs led by Jagdish Bishnoi and others circulated the paper across Rajasthan.

The bench stated that it was “difficult to separate the right and wrong” in such recruitment. While many aspirants appeared honestly in the exam, the court said even 'one dishonest candidate becoming a police station in-charge would be dangerous for law and order. The court directed that all posts from the SI Recruitment 2021 be merged into the 2025 recruitment drive. All candidates from the cancelled recruitment will also be eligible to reappear. Petitioner's lawyer Harendra Neel confirmed that 897 posts will be included in the upcoming recruitment.

Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena, who had consistently raised the issue, welcomed the decision, calling it a victory of truth. He alleged that more than 50 per cent of the selected candidates were fake, adding, “The government only caught 58 fake sub-inspectors, but documents show over 500 candidates cleared the exam through fraud. If such people had entered the police force, law and order would have collapsed.” The scandal also exposed the involvement of senior officials. Former RPSC member Ramu Ram Raika, his son Devesh Raika, and his daughter Shobha Raika were arrested in the case.

While Devesh and Shobha are out on bail, Ramu Ram Raika remains in jail. He had been appointed as an RPSC member in July 2018 during the Vasundhara Raje government and continued till July 2022. The High Court’s decision marks one of the most significant crackdowns on recruitment scams in Rajasthan, aiming to restore faith in the state’s examination system. (IANS)