The Telangana High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the State government in a PIL petition seeking direction for investigation by CBI into the alleged leak of question papers of Group-I and Assistant Engineer exams conducted by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC)
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar, after overruling the objections raised by the HC Registry over treating the matter as PIL, directed the government to file counter -ffidavits within three weeks. The bench directed S. Sharath Kumar, counsel for petitioner Bakka Judson, to implead sixth respondent A.R. Srinivas, presently Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director and previously Hyderabad Police Additional Commissioner (Crimes) and in-charge of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed Group-I question paper leak case, in the plea in his personal capacity.
On August 4, Justice P. Madhavi Devi of the HC had reserved orders in a batch of writ petitions questioning re-conduct of the Group-I preliminary examination and seeking direction for its cancellation. Extensive arguments were presented by counsel of the petitioners and Advocate-General B.S. Prasad with the former pointing out lack of security precautions in re-conducting the exam and the latter stating that it was held in a fool-proof manner.
The present PIL petition was filed by Mr. Judson requesting the HC to order an investigation by the CBI into the leak of Group-I question paper which ‘affected the fate of lakhs of candidates who appeared for the exam’. Leak of the question paper caused serious unrest among the youth and eroded the confidence of people in the TSPSC, the petitioner said. Referring to leaving the key to classified information in the custody of an Assistant Section Officer of TSPSC reeked of criminal strategy unleashed by the top brass in the State administration and in the TSPSC to benefit their kith and kin, the petitioner contended.
Although a case was registered by the Begum Bazar police over question paper leak based on the complaint of a TSPSC official, the government transferred the case to the SIT headed by senior police officer A.R. Srinivas for further probe. This was done only as eyewash to thwart the uproar raised by people and divert their attention, the petitioner maintained. Moreover, Mr. A.R. Srinivas was facing a contempt-of-court case in the High Court and hence no right-minded citizen would appreciate his being head of the SIT to probe such a sensational case, contended the petitioner.
The PIL plea was, however, not given number by the Registry. Lawyer S. Sharath Kumar, appearing for the petitioner, told the bench on Wednesday that “public interest was involved in the matter” as leak of question paper had potential to affect lakhs of candidates who appeared for the exam. Mr. Kumar said that the petitioner was ready to face any action if the bench did not find public interest in the petition.
Meanwhile, a government counsel informed the bench that already a writ petition with similar content was filed before a single judge. The bench directed the government counsel to club the PIL and the writ petitions and file-counter affidavits explaining the progress of investigation within three weeks.
