The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the petitioners challenging the result of the Mains Examination conducted for the recruitment of Additional District Judges (ADJs) in Rajasthan, to approach the High Court for relief.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice J.B. Pardiwala told the lawyers, who had appeared for the Mains Examination, to file a petition before the High Court under Article 226.
The Apex Court further directed the High Court to expedite hearing on the petition (when the lawyers file it), so as to bring finality to the process of recruitment.
Apart from challenging the result, the petitioners further sought re-evaluation of their papers and award of bonus marks, besides consideration in line with the judgment in Pranay Verma vs Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court, so that the candidates equal to three times the vacancies notified could be called for interview.
Appearing for the petitioners, Advocate Prashant Bhushan contended that though there were 85 vacancies for the post of ADJs, but only four candidates were called for interview.
CJI Chandrachud said that the general pool is so bad that the Chief Justices of High Courts were complaining about not getting candidates for lateral entry all over the country.
Bhushan contended that while the recruitment brochure showed 250 candidates would be called for interview, but only four were called.
Casting doubts over the marking process, the Counsel requested the top court of the country to assign a retired SC judge to re-evaluate the papers.
Bhushan further informed the Bench that the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court had constituted a Committee to hear grievances of the representatives of the Bar with regard to the recruitment of ADJs.
The Supreme Court then directed the petitioners to make the request regarding re-evaluation before the High Court.