Patna January 16, 2025: The Patna High Court refused to cancel the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Preliminary Examination or stay its results.
A bench led by Justice Arvind Singh Chandel passed an interim order rejecting all immediate reliefs sought by the petitioners.
The Patna High Court, led by Justice Arvind Singh Chandel, heard the case regarding the alleged irregularities in the 70th BPSC preliminary examination.
The petitioners sought the cancellation of the examination, conducted on December 13 and January 4, citing several discrepancies, including question paper leaks, inadequate preparation by BPSC, and change in examination centres just before the test.
Additionally, they argued that holding the examination on two separate dates disadvantaged certain candidates. During the hearing, Senior Advocate Y. V. Giri, representing the petitioners, emphasized the irregularities, particularly at the Bapu Examination Complex and 28 other centres. He contended that BPSC’s handling of the process lacked fairness and demanded a fresh examination.
Patna High Court refused to give relief to the petitioners:
However, the High Court refused to grant interim relief to the petitioners and did not stay the result of the examination. It directed the Bihar Government and BPSC, the respondents in the case, to submit a detailed reply by January 30. The next hearing is scheduled for January 31.
The High Court clarified that while the results of the preliminary examination have not been stayed, their validity will depend on the final judgment.
If the High Court ultimately decides to cancel the results, both BPSC and the Bihar Government will have to comply. For now, the demands for cancellation of the examination and halting the declaration of results have been rejected.
During the Patna High Court hearing on the alleged irregularities in the 70th BPSC preliminary examination, Advocate General PK Shahi and BPSC’s legal representative countered the petitioners’ claims, asserting that the allegations were baseless.
BPSC and the state claimed the allegations are baseless:
BPSC emphasized that of the 14 petitioners, only one candidate appeared for both examinations (December 13 and January 4) at the Bapu Examination Centre, where irregularities were alleged.
BPSC highlighted that no candidate reported any irregularities to the commission.
BPSC informed the court that video recordings were conducted at the Bapu Examination Center during the examination on December 13.
At around 1:05 PM on that date, a candidate fled with a question paper, and some of those questions were subsequently shared on social media.
BPSC argued that this incident was isolated and did not constitute a question paper leak as alleged by the petitioners.
Advocate General PK Shahi, representing the Bihar Government, mentioned that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has also been filed concerning the BPSC examination.
He requested the court to consolidate the PIL with the current hearing to ensure a comprehensive resolution.
The court took note of the counterarguments presented by the Advocate General and BPSC.
Also Read: BPSC 70th PT exam controversy escalates: petition filed in Patna High Court.
EOM.