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Stays Cancellation of Food Safety Officer Recruitment for Violating Natural Justice
Ranchi, : In a significant , the on Thursday stayed the state government's notification cancelling the recruitment of Food Safety Officers under Advertisement No. 18 of 2023, holding that appointments cannot be disturbed without adhering to the . Justice Deepak Roshan, presiding over a single bench, directed that the 56 candidates who had already joined service continue in their positions until further orders, providing immediate relief to the petitioners.
A Question of Natural Justice
The
, filed by Saurav Singh and others, challenged the state government's Notification No. 06/LO.S.A.-01-07/5404 of 2026 dated
, which cancelled all recruitments under the Food Safety Officer advertisement. The petitioners argued that they were appointed after a valid selection process and that the
violated their right to be heard.
"No process of natural justice has been complied with; rather, due to some pressure, as per his instruction, this action has been taken,"
submitted
, counsel for the petitioners, urging the court to stay the notification.
The cancellation was part of a broader move by the Hemant Soren-led government, which annulled 22 recruitment examinations following a 26-day agitation by job aspirants alleging irregularities in various and exams. The state had also ordered a CID probe into the matter, with several arrests made. The petitioners, however, maintained that the mass cancellation tainted selectees who had cleared the exams fairly.
Allegations of Mass Bungling
Representing the state, Senior Additional Advocate General
acknowledged that an in-depth investigation by the
was underway. He submitted that
"there was a mass bungling in the entire recruitment process"
and that the government was justified in cancelling the appointments. However, the court noted that no material had been placed on record to show which specific candidates were involved in corruption.
The court observed that the state's action lacked
.
"Till now, there is no material with the respondents to show as to which candidates are involved in corruption or else; inasmuch as, the Investigating Agency is already in action,"
Justice Roshan noted in his
.
Court Puts Recruitments on Hold
Emphasizing that the interest of justice is paramount, the High Court stayed the operation and implementation of the
notification.
"A regular appointment cannot be disturbed or terminated without following
,"
the court stated, adding that the notification effectively terminated the petitioners without
.
The court directed the petitioners to file an undertaking that the final order in the connected criminal case would be binding on them, allowing the government to take appropriate action in accordance with law. Meanwhile, the respondents were directed to file a counter-affidavit detailing the investigation and any further developments. The matter is next listed for .
What Lies Ahead
The stay offers temporary relief not only to the 56 Food Safety Officers but also, according to reports, to candidates of the 11th and 13th Combined Civil Services Examinations, whose cancellations were challenged in separate petitions heard alongside. The court's order signals that blanket cancellations without individual scrutiny may not survive .
Reactions to the order have been mixed. - Reforms Manch leader Piyush Kumar accused the government of "misleading" protesters, while Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi termed the episode a "well-planned conspiracy" to defuse the student movement, noting that the government failed to file a despite anticipating legal challenges.
For now, selected candidates can continue in their roles, but the final outcome hinges on the CID probe and the court's subsequent hearings. The case underscores the enduring requirement of natural justice even in the face of serious allegations of large-scale malpractice.
