Northeast Desk, 1st October: The Gauhati High Court has annulled the appointments of 40 additional police officers in the Nagaland Police, bringing the total number of cancelled appointments to 975. This decision comes after it was determined that these positions—including Sub-Inspectors, Assistant Sub-Inspectors, and Instructor Havildars—were filled without the necessary public advertisement, violating the constitutional principles of equality outlined in Article 14 and Article 16.
Justice Devashis Baruah of the Kohima Bench highlighted that the appointments, made between 2019 and 2020, circumvented the standard recruitment process. This bypass not only deprived eligible candidates of a fair chance to compete but also undermined the integrity of the recruitment system. The ruling reflects a similar decision from September, in which 935 police constable appointments were quashed for analogous reasons.
The case was brought to court by a group of unemployed individuals who argued that the appointments were conducted through “backdoor methods” without public notices, effectively stifling fair competition. In light of the ruling, the court has directed the Nagaland government to re-advertise the vacancies and ensure that a fresh recruitment process is completed within six months.
While the dismissed appointees are permitted to participate in the upcoming selection process, they will be afforded an upper age limit relaxation. However, there will be no concessions regarding qualifications or physical standards. The court emphasized that the interim appointees must adhere to strict discipline throughout their remaining service.