HC orders CBI probe in PSC role in police service recruitment

The Meghalaya High Court has ordered a CBI probe into the alleged manipulation by the state Public Service Commission in the recruitment for the state police service.
Acting on a petition filed by a candidate, Millon Ch Momin and the subsequent detection of discrepancies in the functioning of the commission, Justice S R Sen said yesterday, "After hearing the submissions advanced by the counsels for the parties and after examining the viva-voce score sheet, a doubt has gathered and to remove the doubt, I feel that an independent inquiry is very necessary."
The court gave the CBI "full liberty" to examine all the documents as well as the persons concerned and to take further steps in the interest of the investigation and to submit the report within three months.

CBI in-charge SP N G Khamrang later appeared in the court following which the officer was asked to conduct a preliminary inquiry to find the actual position and to submit the report within three months.
"I direct the in-charge Superintendent of Police, CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry to find the actual position and to submit the report within 3(three) months from today," the court said.
Earlier, the court, which also called for the viva-voce score sheets, found that some marks were noted down against certain candidates twice, one with pencil and another with ball-pen.

It said, "All of a sudden the total marks mentioned were 39 both with pencil and with ball-pen. It appears eraser was used."

While examining the score sheet, the court also noted that nothing was mentioned in this regard in the respective columns in the viva-voce score sheet.
Though response was sought from Meghalaya Public Service Commission chairperson Biana W Momin and the commission's chief controller of examination W A M Booth, both could not give any satisfactory answer about the marks given in the viva-voce score sheet.
The High Court Registry has also been directed to hand over the viva-voce score sheets and tabulation sheets to the CBI officer immediately.