IMPORTANT POINT
Fraudulent suppression of facts in obtaining educational qualifications renders such qualifications void, and individuals cannot benefit from their fraudulent actions.

JUDGMENT

Sashikanta Mishra, J.

The order dated 21.08.2015 passed by the Collector-cum- Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Bhadrak in Misc. Case No. 03/2014 pursuant to direction of this Court in W.P.(C) No. 5077 of 2014 and batch is under challenge in the present writ application.

FACTS

2. An advertisement was issued by the Collector, Bhadrak on 08.12.2011 inviting applications from eligible candidates for engagement as Sikshya Sahayaks. The educational qualification required was, the candidate must have passed +2 examination in Science/Arts/Commerce or its equivalent examination declared by appropriate authority and C.T. training. Pursuant to such advertisement, the petitioners submitted their applications. A merit list was prepared for all categories of candidates. Petitioner No.1 was placed at serial No. 11 of the merit list, Petitioner No.2 at serial No.4 of UR merit list and petitioner No.3 at serial No. 1 of SEBC female list. In the initial provisional merit list of different categories, vocational course qualified candidates were not included, for which some of them approached this Court in W.P.(C) No. 6438 of 2011 and 6458 of 2011. By order dated 18.03.2011, a coordinate Bench of this Court disposed of the writ applications directing that the cases of the candidates (petitioners therein), who have completed +2 Vocational course with C.T. training shall be considered by the Collector-cum-CEO, Zilla Parishad and the provisional list of selected candidates already published shall be revised accordingly. Pursuant to such order, a fresh merit list was prepared including the candidates with Vocational qualification. At this stage some of the candidates similarly situated as the petitioners submitted grievance before the authorities (opposite party Nos. 2 and 3) that the Vocational candidates and Upasastri candidates had obtained those certificates by suppressing the fact of their passing +2 Arts/Commerce/Science examination earlier, which amounts to fraud. Further, some bonafide candidates having Vocational qualification approached this Court in W.P.(C) No. 7478 of 2011, which was disposed of by order dated 24.03.2011 directing the District Project Coordinator, SSA, Bhadrak to consider and dispose of the representation submitted by those petitioners within three weeks. Accordingly, opposite party Nos. 2 and 3 conducted enquiry into the allegations regarding submission of fake certificates but without completing the same, published a second merit list including their names with the remark that enquiry is pending against the Vocational and Upasastri candidates. Being aggrieved, some similarly situated persons including the petitioners approached this Court in W.P.(C) No. 18256 of 2011, which was disposed of by order dated 15.07.2011 with direction to the authorities to complete the enquiry and thereafter consider the representation of the petitioners in the light of the enquiry report. It was however, made clear that the authorities shall not appoint the candidates against whom the enquiry is pending till it is complete. Notwithstanding such order, the opposite party Nos. 2 and 3 asked the Vocational/ Upasastri candidates to furnish an undertaking that they had not passed +2 Arts/Commerce/Science before obtaining Vocational/ Upasastri certificates. The concerned candidates submitted individual undertakings that they had not passed any other +2 course examination other than Vocational/ Upasastri examination and if such undertaking is found to be incorrect they shall be disengaged from the post of Sikshya Sahayak. As such, opposite party Nos. 2 and 3 issued conditional engagement orders in favour of those candidates making it subject to the order of this Court in W.P.(C) No. 7478 of 2011 with further stipulation that if any irregularity is detected in future, the engagement would be terminated. The enquiry proceeded thereafter and on its completion it was established that all those candidates had passed +2 examination earlier