The Jharkhand High Court has reserved its order on petitions challenging the state government’s cancellation of examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), while continuing its stay on the termination of successful candidates appointed to government service.
A bench of Justice Deepak Roshan heard petitions filed by candidates who had cleared the examinations and were subsequently employed by the state government. Their services were terminated after an August 18 notification issued by the personnel and administrative reforms department. The court’s earlier order staying the termination will remain in force until further directions.
The reserved order will determine the immediate legal position on the petitions challenging the cancellation of the examinations. The report does not specify when the order will be pronounced. Until then, the continuation of the stay protects the affected successful candidates from the termination taking effect.
In a separate proceeding with direct implications for police accountability in Ranchi, the high court directed the director general of police and the home secretary to decide a timeframe for installing CCTV cameras in police stations and at chowks across the capital.
The direction came during the hearing of a petition concerning the alleged illegal detention of a minor at Doranda Police Station. The court was informed that the CCTV cameras at the police station were not working. The reported failure places the focus not only on the installation of surveillance equipment but also on whether cameras in police facilities are operational when they are needed for oversight.
The court’s direction covers police stations and chowks across Ranchi city. It requires the DGP and the home secretary to decide the timeframe for the installation of cameras, but the report does not provide a specific deadline or details of the proposed equipment, funding or monitoring arrangements.
CCTV systems in police stations can provide an official record of movement and detention within premises, but their accountability value depends on functioning equipment and access to recorded footage. In the Doranda matter, the reported non-functioning cameras became a central issue while the court was examining the detention petition.
The two proceedings place separate administrative questions before the state. The JPSC case concerns the legal consequences of cancelling examinations after successful candidates had been appointed and then terminated. The Ranchi CCTV proceeding concerns the implementation and reliability of a monitoring system intended to support accountability in police facilities and public spaces.
The CCTV matter will next be heard on October 30. The stay on the termination of the successful JPSC candidates will continue pending the high court’s order.
