Backward class cops allowed to get posts in open category

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has rejected a petition of a police constable who claimed that he missed out on bagging the post of sub-inspector after appearing for a competitive exam as candidates from the reserved category migrated to the open category and were given the posts. The candidate prayed for cancellation of the appointments as they was against the rules of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) rules that conducted the exams. The court however held that while the applicants had only paid lesser fees, there was no difference in the exams and interviews appeared for by the open category candidates hence the appointments were valid.

A division bench of acting chief justice V.K. Tahilramani and justice M.S. Karnik was hearing the petition. The petitioner’s advocate Rajiv Chavan contended that rules had been flouted for appointing meritorious candidates for open category posts from a pool of 36 reserved category candidates. The petitioner Vinod Dhore submitted that as it was against the rules laid down by MPSC, the appointments should be cancelled. However, government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani informed the court that the state through a government resolution had made appointments of reserved category candidates to open category posts valid and hence the process was not flawed.