HC orders CBI probe into recruitment irregularities in Ramnagar college

The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment process at Gomati Puran Prasad Girls Inter College, Ramnagar in Nainital district, said Suresh Chandra Bhatt counsel of the petitioner in the case. The CBI is asked to prepare a report within four months.

The order was issued by a single judge bench of Justice Lokpal Singh while the hearing the case regarding the irregularities in recruitment process for the post of assistant clerk in the college.

Giving details of the case, Bhatt said appointments were made for various posts in the college in 2016.

“One Anju Agarwal had also applied for the post of the assistant clerk in the college after she saw an advertisements for recruitment in newspapers in 2014. The basic requirement for the post, according to the advertisement, was Hindi typing with a speed of 25 words a minute,” he said.

A total of 25 people applied for the job and were called for interview in 2016, following which the merit list was made which featured the petitioner at serial number 5 and the name of the respondent (the girl who got the job) at serial number 1, said Bhatt.

The respondent, who got the job was the daughter of a man posted at the college, he said.

Bhat said petitioner Agarwal approached the high court in 2017 alleging that the other person had been appointed for the post despite not having the required qualification.

“When the petition came for hearing, the court sought documents regarding the recruitment process in the college. When the documents were examined by the court, it found there was overwriting on the documents,” he said.

The petition also argued that as the respondent, who got the job, was married to a Uttar Pradesh-based man in 2012, she could not be given the benefit of permanent residence of Uttarakhand, which was the necessary condition for applying for the post.

Bhatt said the high court, after hearing the matter on Wednesday, ordered CBI inquiry and asked the probe agency to present its report within four months.