The Jharkhand High Court has appointed retired judge Gautam Kumar Chaudhary to address complaints from JSSC-CGL candidates facing harassment during the SIT investigation.

Justice Deepak Roshan’s bench also named a retired IPS officer as nodal officer to assist in this complaint redressal process.

The interim stay on cancelled JPSC, JSSC-CGL, CDPO and Food Safety Officer appointments remains active, protecting 99 candidates.

The state government submitted its affidavit today, appearing through senior advocate Meenakshi Arora and Solicitor General Rohitashya Roy.

Petitioners’ counsel were allowed 10 days to file counter-affidavits, with the case next set for October 7.

Petitioners’ counsel requested additional time to file counter-affidavits, which the court has allowed within 10 days of receiving notice copies.

The case also continues to cover cancelled recruitment advertisements for the JPSC’s 11th and 13th Civil Service examinations, CDPO and Food Safety Officer positions.

The cancellations trace back to an August 17 announcement by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, made after a 24-day student protest over alleged recruitment irregularities.

The government separately scrapped all examinations conducted by blacklisted agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited and ordered a CID probe into recruitment exams dating back to 2014.

A separate Supreme Court petition filed by activist Harisharan Devgan continues to seek a transfer of the investigation from the state CID to the CBI.

The next hearing in the Jharkhand High Court case has been scheduled for October 7, 2026.

Candidates affected by the cancellations have previously staged protests, including a human chain and torchlight demonstrations, since the case first began.

Justice Deepak Roshan’s bench at Tuesday’s earlier hearing had already rejected the government’s request for a week’s extension and questioned the pace of the CID investigation.

The interim stay protecting appointments made under Advertisement No. 10/2023 continues to shield 99 candidates, in a case filed by Akash Gaurav and 98 others.

High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

The Jharkhand High Court rejected the state government’s plea for a week’s extension to file its affidavit in the JSSC-CGL case, with Justice Deepak Roshan’s bench instead demanding a time-bound update on the CID probe.

The government told the court a sealed-cover report on the CID investigation’s progress would be submitted, but the bench raised concerns over how slowly the probe was moving.

The court ordered the state to clarify its stand and respond within 48 hours, stressing that numerous candidates’ futures are at stake and delays cannot continue.

The interim stay on 99 candidates appointed under Advertisement No. 10/2023 remains intact, with the next hearing scheduled for September 18.

The case follows the government’s August 17 cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam and related recruitment advertisements, after weeks of student protests over alleged irregularities.

The matter also covers cancelled recruitment advertisements for the JPSC, CDPO and Food Safety Officer examinations, affecting thousands of applicants beyond the JSSC-CGL candidates.

The original cancellation was announced by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on August 17, following a 24-day student protest over alleged recruitment irregularities.

The government simultaneously scrapped all examinations conducted by blacklisted agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited, widening the fallout beyond the CGL exam alone.

The CID’s probe covers recruitment examinations dating back to 2014, making it one of the broadest irregularity investigations the state has ordered in recent years.

A separate committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been tasked with framing rules to prevent future examination irregularities.

A parallel Supreme Court petition filed by activist Harisharan Devgan is separately seeking to transfer the investigation from the state CID to the CBI.

Successful JSSC-CGL candidates who had already secured appointments have previously staged protests, including a human chain and torchlight demonstrations, after the cancellation was announced.

Tuesday’s hearing was the latest in a series of court dates in the case since the cancellation, with the matter now set to return on September 18.

High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

The Jharkhand High Court rejected the state government’s request for four weeks to respond in the JSSC-CGL cancellation case.

Instead, the court granted only two additional days and ordered a sealed-envelope status report, keeping its interim stay on cancelled appointments in place.

The stay covers appointments under Advertisement No. 10/2023, benefiting 99 candidates, in a case filed by Akash Gaurav and 98 others.

The matter also spans cancelled recruitment advertisements for the JPSC, JSSC CGL-2023, CDPO and Food Safety Officer exams, with the next hearing set for September 18 at 10:30 am.

The cancellations followed CM Hemant Soren’s August 17 announcement after a 24-day student protest, alongside a separate Supreme Court plea seeking a CBI probe.

The case also covers cancelled recruitment advertisements for the JPSC, JSSC CGL-2023, CDPO and Food Safety Officer examinations, affecting thousands of applicants.

The cancellations trace back to an August 17 announcement by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, made after a 24-day student protest over alleged recruitment irregularities.

The government simultaneously scrapped all examinations conducted by blacklisted agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited and ordered a CID probe into recruitment exams dating back to 2014.

A separate committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal has been tasked with framing rules to prevent future examination irregularities.

In parallel, a Supreme Court petition filed by activist Harisharan Devgan is separately seeking to transfer the recruitment-irregularities investigation from the state CID to the CBI.

Successful JSSC-CGL candidates who had already secured appointments staged protests, including a human chain and torchlight demonstrations, after the cancellation was first announced.

The Jharkhand High Court’s stay applies to appointments made under Advertisement No. 10/2023, granting temporary relief to 99 candidates who had already been appointed.

The stay order was originally issued on September 8, with the interim protection for the appointed candidates remaining in effect since.

High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0