Chandigarh, July 22
The Punjab and Haryana High Court Acting Chief Justice, Mr Justice H.S. Bedi, has constituted two high-level committees to study afresh the issue of alleged irregularities in the selections for PCS (Executive) and PCS (Judicial) made by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) under the then Chairman, Mr Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu.
According to sources, the committee that will look into the selections in the Executive branch comprises Mr Justice J.S. Khehar, Mr Justice Viney Mittal and Mr Justice Surya Kant. The second committee, which has been given the task of scrutinising selections of PCS (Judicial) officers during the period when Mr Sidhu was the Chairman of the PPSC, comprises Mr Justice K.S. Garewal, Mr Justice Ashutosh Mohunta and Mr Justice Jasbir Singh.
The committees have been asked to submit their reports at the earliest.
On May 3, the Supreme Court, while setting aside the High Court judgement cancelling all appointments made by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) during Ravi Sidhu's tenure as chairman, had also come down heavily on the High Court for having failed to uphold the principle of natural justice.
What had irked the Supreme Court was the fact that two senior Judges - Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi - who were members of the committees constituted on the orders of the then Chief Justice, Mr Justice A.B. Saharya, to look into the alleged tainted selections, were also part of the Full Bench that heard the petitions challenging the cancellation of appointments of judicial officers.
It may be recalled that following allegations that wards of some sitting Judges of the High Court had been favoured by Sidhu, the then Chief Justice had constituted a committee of five Judges.
This committee, in its report, recommended that appointments of judicial officers in all the four batches selected during the tenure of Ravi Sidhu should be cancelled. This was in spite of the fact that selection of officers from the 1998 batch was not under question. However, the report was accepted by the Full Court.
But, when the recommendations of the High Court were received by the Punjab Government, a query was raised as to on what basis the recommendation for cancellation of the appointments of the 1998 batch candidates were made. Thereupon, another Committee was constituted.
Finally, on September 27, 2002, services of the judicial officers were terminated. Surprisingly, no action was taken by the government for cancellation of any other examinations or termination of the services of officers belonging to other services.
In its judgment in the matter, the Supreme Court observed, “It is clearly a case where the Hon'ble Judges should have excused themselves from hearing the matter. It was for them to remind themselves that justice is not only done but manifestly seen to be done.”
The SC referred the matter back to the High Court, asking it to constitute two independent scrutiny committees to look into the matter afresh.
