Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, IPS (1997 batch, AGMUT cadre), Director-General of Police, Chandigarh, to conduct a preliminary inquiry into a missing envelope containing the Selection Committee’s recommendations at the Central University of Punjab. The DGP has been asked to determine under whose custody the envelope was and submit a report to the Court within one week
The Court has asked the DGP to determine where the envelope was kept, under whose custody it remained and how it became untraceable. The inquiry report must be submitted to the Court within one week.
The order came in a petition concerning the non-declaration of a recruitment result for the Department of Computer Sciences, for which interviews were held in September 2022. The result has remained pending for nearly four years.
HC Seeks Explanation for Four-Year Delay
Justice Pravindra Singh Chauhan passed the directions while hearing a petition filed by Ajay Singh Verma, who has been awaiting the final outcome of the recruitment process.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, Saurabh Arora, the Central University of Punjab had issued an advertisement for the posts and conducted interviews for the Department of Computer Sciences on September 27, 2022.
However, the final result was never declared.
The issue was also discussed during a special meeting of the university’s Executive Council on October 20, 2022. The minutes of the meeting recorded that the declaration of the result was kept in abeyance and that the Selection Committee’s recommendations would be placed in a sealed cover.
The sealed-cover arrangement was intended to preserve the recommendations while the matter remained pending.
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Selection Panel Envelope Now Reported Missing
The case took a more serious turn when the High Court sought an explanation for the continued delay.
During an earlier hearing on September 30, the Court specifically questioned why the result had not been declared even after four years. Counsel appearing for the respondents sought time to obtain instructions from the university.
When the hearing resumed, the respondents informed the Court that the envelope containing the Selection Committee’s recommendations was now “untraceable”.
The disclosure prompted concern from the Bench.
Justice Chauhan observed that the university’s response raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding the matter. The Court also noted that the communication did not explain why the envelope containing the Selection Committee’s recommendations was missing.
The issue has therefore moved beyond the question of a delayed recruitment result and now involves determining how an important selection record went missing.
Chandigarh DGP Given One Week
Taking note of the circumstances, the High Court directed the Director-General of Police, Chandigarh, to conduct a preliminary inquiry.
The inquiry will specifically examine the missing envelope and establish under whose custody it was kept.
The DGP has been directed to submit the findings to the High Court within one week.
The direction places the police inquiry at the centre of the next stage of the case, particularly because the missing document contains the recommendations made by the Selection Committee during the 2022 recruitment process.
The Court has also directed that one post be kept reserved while the matter remains pending.
Recruitment Result Remains Unresolved
For the petitioner, the case represents a prolonged wait for clarity over a recruitment process that began four years ago.
The interviews were completed in September 2022, but the final result has not been announced. The recommendations were subsequently placed in a sealed cover, and the university has now stated that the envelope cannot be traced.
The Court’s intervention could help establish what happened to the selection record and whether the missing document contributed to the prolonged delay in declaring the result.
The next steps will depend on the findings of the preliminary inquiry and the university’s response before the High Court.
One Post to Remain Reserved
Along with ordering the inquiry, the High Court directed that one post connected with the matter be kept reserved.
This ensures that the recruitment issue remains open until the Court examines the circumstances surrounding the delayed result and the missing recommendations.
The order also gives the authorities a limited timeframe to clarify the whereabouts and custody of the selection panel’s recommendations.
The case is now scheduled for further hearing on November 12.
Why the Case Matters
The matter highlights the importance of proper record-keeping and transparency in public recruitment processes.
Selection committee recommendations are a crucial part of any recruitment exercise, particularly when they determine the outcome of interviews for academic posts. A prolonged delay, followed by the reported disappearance of the recommendations, can create uncertainty for candidates as well as questions about institutional procedures.
The High Court’s decision to seek a police inquiry reflects the seriousness with which the missing record has been viewed.
For the petitioner, the immediate priority remains clarity on a recruitment process that has been pending since 2022. For the university, the inquiry provides an opportunity to establish the circumstances surrounding the missing envelope and address the concerns raised before the Court.
The matter will return to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 12, after the Chandigarh DGP submits the preliminary inquiry report.
