More than two decades after their appointment letters were revoked in a recruitment scandal, former judicial candidates have lost their battle for reinstatement in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court dismissed their plea, ruling that their case was long past its expiration date.
The controversy dates back to 2001 when the candidates cleared the Punjab Civil Service (Judicial Branch) examination. However, in 2002, their appointments were scrapped following a recruitment scam that led to criminal charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. After years of legal proceedings, they were acquitted in 2016 and subsequently sought reinstatement.
Despite their acquittal, the High Court’s administrative wing refused to revive their appointments in 2017. Undeterred, two candidates challenged this decision through a writ petition, arguing that they had been unable to act earlier due to their legal battle.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel, however, found their claim unconvincing. The judges highlighted the significant passage of time, noting that multiple recruitment cycles had taken place since their termination in 2002. The court emphasized that while there is no fixed deadline for filing a writ petition, extraordinary jurisdiction must be invoked within a reasonable period.
“The petitioners cannot revive a cause of action that naturally expired years ago,” the bench remarked, underscoring that belated claims cannot overturn established legal principles.
With this ruling, the door to their judicial careers remains firmly shut, marking the final chapter in a legal saga that began over 20 years ago.
