Rajasthan High Court Stays Cancellation of SI Recruitment 2021 Exam Amid Paper Leak Controversy
In a major relief for selected sub-inspectors, the Rajasthan High Court has put on hold the earlier order that cancelled the 2021 Sub-Inspector (SI) Recruitment Exam. This means the exam’s results stand for now, but the court has made it clear: no field postings for these candidates until further notice. The court also sent a notice to the Rajasthan state government to respond on this key issue.
The decision came during a hearing on Monday before a division bench led by Justice S.P. Sharma. It was part of an appeal filed by Amar Singh and other selected sub-inspectors, with senior advocate R.N. Mathur arguing their case. The petitioners strongly opposed the single bench’s cancellation, pointing out that even the government didn’t want to scrap the entire SI recruitment process. They stressed that Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group (SOG) had already nabbed those behind the paper leak, allowing authorities to separate genuine candidates from the tainted ones. Calling the full cancellation "illegal and unfair," they argued it would punish honest aspirants who worked hard for the exam.
Legal experts like Pratik Kasliwal and Harendra Neel, the petitioners’ lawyer, backed this view. They explained that courts often grant stays in paper leak cases because most candidates are legitimate. Without this stay, the government would have to fire all trainees and start the SI recruitment 2021 from scratch, which would be a huge setback. "It’s like an immediate dismissal for those already training," Neel said, adding that the division bench’s move was expected in such scenarios.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) Chairman U.R. Sahu clarified that the matter is now fully in the government’s hands, and the commission has stepped back.
To recap what led to this, back on August 28, a single bench under Justice Sameer Jain had scrapped the entire SI Recruitment 2021 process. This exam was for 859 posts, but it got hit hard by a massive paper leak scandal. In a detailed 202-page order, the court exposed how the recruitment process was compromised right from the start. It revealed that six RPSC members, including former chairman Sanjay Shrotriya, played an active role in the leak. Shockingly, even a Bluetooth gang got hold of the exam paper, and confidentiality broke down before the paper even reached the printing press.
The court dug deep into the corruption, highlighting how RPSC members like Manju Sharma, Sangeeta Arya, and Jaswant Rathi influenced interviews to favor their associates’ children. It also noted that candidates’ details were shared in advance with interview panels, and a handwritten copy of the paper leaked before printing—proof of serious internal betrayal in the RPSC paper leak case.
As a result, the single bench directed that these 859 posts be rolled into the 2025 recruitment drive, and all 2021 candidates get a chance to reappear. But with the division bench’s stay on the SI recruitment 2021 cancellation, the situation hangs in balance, awaiting the government’s reply and further hearings. This development brings hope to thousands of genuine SI aspirants caught in the Rajasthan paper leak controversy, while underscoring the ongoing fight against corruption in government exams. Stay tuned for updates on this Rajasthan High Court ruling.
