Jaipur, April 18 (IANS) The controversy surrounding the Sub-Inspector (SI) Recruitment Examination-2021 in Rajasthan has reached the Supreme Court, with selected candidates filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the cancellation of the entire recruitment process. The petitioners have challenged the Rajasthan High Court decision, which annulled the recruitment citing irregularities such as paper leaks and rigging.They have urged the apex court to uphold the recruitment and argued that candidates selected through fair means should not be penalised for the wrongdoing of a few.

In their plea, the selected Sub-Inspectors contended that while strict action must be taken against those involved in malpractice, cancelling the entire recruitment is unjust."Those who secured selection through honesty and hard work should be allowed to continue in service,” the petition states, adding that the High Court’s verdict has left their future uncertain.The recruitment was first cancelled by a single-judge bench on August 28, 2025. Later, on April 4, 2026, a Division Bench upheld the decision, reinforcing the cancellation. The court had cited large-scale irregularities, including allegations of paper leaks, as the basis for its ruling.A hearing in the Supreme Court on this issue is likely in the second week of May.

Meanwhile, unsuccessful candidates have already filed a caveat to ensure their side is heard before any order is passed. Advocate Harendra Neel has filed the caveat on their behalf. The Division Bench, led by Acting Chief Justice S.P. Sharma, had also set aside the suo motu cognisance taken by the Single Bench against the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC).The selected candidates maintain that the entire process should not be scrapped and have reiterated that accountability must be fixed only on those proven guilty of misconduct.The state government has not taken any stand on the issue yet.Earlier, before the High Court, the government had opposed the complete cancellation of the recruitment. Its position on whether it will intervene in the Supreme Court proceedings is expected to come soon.

/IANS