The Supreme Court has emphasized the acute shortage of government jobs in India, highlighting the necessity of maintaining absolute integrity in recruitment processes. This observation came while overturning a Rajasthan High Court decision that had granted bail to two individuals accused of using a “dummy candidate” in a competitive civil engineering examination.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Ahsanuddin Amanullah ruled in favor of the Rajasthan government’s appeal, revoking bail for Indraj Singh and Salman Khan. Prosecutors allege that Khan impersonated Singh in the Assistant Engineer Civil (Autonomous Governance Department) Competitive Examination-2022. A subsequent investigation reportedly uncovered a ₹10 lakh cheque linked to Khan.
The Supreme Court underscored that government job exams must be conducted with the highest level of integrity, ensuring that only the most deserving candidates secure positions. The court noted that thousands of aspirants had taken the exam, and the accused, in pursuit of personal gain, had undermined its sanctity, potentially disadvantaging genuine candidates.
Granting bail solely on the absence of prior criminal records was deemed erroneous, with the Court referencing precedents that stress the gravity of offenses involving public trust. While affirming the presumption of innocence for the accused, the bench underscored the broader societal impact of their alleged actions, justifying the bail cancellation. However, it clarified that its ruling pertained solely to bail and would not influence the ongoing trial.
