Indore: High Court stays police constable recruitment process over OBC quota issue

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Through an interim order, Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday stayed the recruitment process for police constable posts for year 2020 and 2021 undertaken by Professional Examination Board in light of the state government’s move to increase OBC reservation from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.

Citing a ruling by the principal bench at Jabalpur over same OBC reservation issue, division bench comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Prakash Chandra Gupta stayed the PEB recruitment process and also ordered for issuance of notices to the state government and PEB seeking their response to the petition within four weeks.

Rahul Sharma, who had taken the police constable exam, had filed the petition through his counsels Kamlesh Banger and Sourabh Bajpai challenging the final selection list of constable which was prepared keeping 27 per cent reservation to OBC.

Rahul had passed the exam by obtaining 78.1 marks but he could not be selected because cut-off of constable (GD) sub-category DEF and SAF was 80.68 and 79.08 respectively and the petitioner lost his entitlement by 0.98 marks due to 27 per cent OBC reservation.

Arguing on the behalf of the petitioner, advocate Hitesh Biherani informed the court that the principal bench at Jabalpur had already stayed the government’s move of increasing the OBC quota from 14 per cent to 27 per cent in cases against MPPSC and candidates.

He argued that the PEB was moving ahead with 27 per cent OBC reservation in police recruitment process as same was not challenged in the court.

After going through the petition, the court stayed the recruitment process with 27 per cent reservation to OBC. The court observed that if PEB wants it can move ahead the recruitments with 14 per cent reservation to OBC.

The next date for hearing has been set for April 10.

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