MCSCCE 2016 Scam : Decide the case within eight weeks: SC to HC
Source: IT News

Imphal, August 10 2019: The controversy surrounding the MCSCCE 2016 conducted by MPSC refuses to die.

It has been more than two years that the case has been going on in the HC of Manipur whereby some of the candidates had asked for cancellation of exam in light of various illegalities and irregularities pointed out by the court appointed Enquiry committee.

Now, the Supreme Court had intervened in the ongoing case, after a candidate named Nelojit Mayengbam and another filed a case in SC against the way the case was deliberately being dragged on in HC.

The SC , in its final judgment dated 5th of August, has now directed the HC to decide the case within eight weeks from the date of receipt of its order , by 9th October, 2019 .

The SC had pulled up the HC for taking an undue and inordinate delay in deciding the case that has huge ramifications for the State.

The SC has also expressed strong displeasure at the conduct of the HC especially the way the case was being dragged on in the HC without any proper reason.

It may be mentioned herein that the SC again long back in 12th April, 2018 , while disposing of an SLP filed by some selected candidates, had also asked the HC to decide the case expeditiously taking into note the huge irregularities found out by the Enquiry committee.

Some of the shocking irregularities found out by the enquiry committee were the absence of supervisor signature, examiner signature, invigilator signatures in many of the answer scripts.

There were also cases of alterations of marks in many of answer scripts without the initials of the examiners concerned, huge totaling errors, double allotment of marks to same question again and again.

It was also found out that there were wide discrepancies in the signature supposed to be done by the same examiner.

This was also confirmed by Forensic experts consulted by some of the candidates.

The most shocking finding of the enquiry committee was the fact that there were still many answer scripts which were yet to be evaluated by examiners.

In light of such revelations, the Judges of SC had in the open Court orally remarked that the only option is to quash the entire examination and conduct afresh.

But it is saddening to see that even after these findings of the enquiry committee and the observations of the SC, neither the State Government nor the MPSC has been pro active and forthcoming in their approach in finding out the perpetrators of these crimes.

It becomes even more worrisome when the High Court of Manipur, instead of hearing the case and deciding it on merits at earliest, simply sits on the case and simply delays and adjourn the case.

Such an approach would only strengthen the case of the wrongdoers and kill the spirit of those many deserving candidates.

But now that the SC had asked the HC to decide the case within 8 weeks, a positive response can be expected.

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