Dilip B. Bhosale, ACJ.

1. In view of the divergence of opinion expressed by two Division Benches, another Division Bench requested constitution of a Larger Bench to have an authoritative pronouncement on the question “whether suppression of information by the candidate, applying for an employment, regarding his involvement in a criminal case, could be the ground for either rejecting his candidature or canceling his selection or terminating the service, if he has already been appointed?”

2. Reference order was passed on 23.2.2005 in W.P. No.3004 of 2005. The order dated 8.2.2005 passed in O.A.No.6240 of 2004 by the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal (for short, ‘the Tribunal’) is the subject-matter of the writ petition. The petitioners were selected as Police Constables and their names figured in the provisional selection list. Their selection, however, was cancelled on the ground of suppression of information regarding their involvement in criminal cases while submitting applications for the post of Police Constables.

3. While dealing with the writ petition, the Division Bench noticed divergent opinions expressed by two Division Benches of this Court, one, in A. Sagar v