PATNA HIGH COURT STAYED APPOINTMENT OF 283 CANDIDATES AS SIs

PATNA HIGH COURT STAYED APPOINTMENT OF 283 CANDIDATES AS SIs

29-APRIL-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-----------------------------Dealing a major blow to 283 candidates aspiring to become Sub-Inspectors in the Bihar Police, the Patna High Court has stayed their appointments. A division bench comprising Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice Harish Kumar issued this order, overturning a previous decision by a single-judge bench.

Previously, the single-judge bench had directed the State Government to appoint candidates found medically fit to the post of Sub-Inspector within six weeks. However, challenging this order, the State Government filed an LPA (appeal) before the division bench. Following extensive hearings, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the High Court's division bench issued a detailed 42-page order, setting aside the decision of the single-judge bench.

The Court clarified that the 133 candidates whose appointments were made based on a Supreme Court order cannot be compared to the current batch of candidates. Furthermore, the Court observed that the recruitment process for the years 2023 and 2024 has already concluded; therefore, any intervention in the matter at this stage would not be appropriate.

This case pertains to Advertisement No. 704/2004, through which the Bihar Government had initiated recruitment for 1,510 posts of Sub-Inspector. As part of the recruitment process, the physical examination was conducted in 2006, the written examination in 2008, and the final results were declared in 2008 itself. Subsequently, due to errors in the question papers and subsequent re-evaluations, several changes occurred; notably, 160 selected candidates were initially removed from the list, though the government later decided to retain them.

The Supreme Court had also intervened in several cases related to this recruitment dispute and had issued orders to appoint 133 candidates based on their medical fitness tests. Their reinstatement was based on these very orders.

However, 283 candidates demanded appointment on the same grounds, citing the Right to Equality; the Police Department rejected this demand, stating that the Supreme Court's order applied only to candidates belonging to a special category. The High Court, too, accepted this reasoning and dismissed their petition.