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High court clears Punjab senior assistant exam, rejects paper leak claims

Justice Harpreet Singh Brar said the petitioners had failed to produce credible evidence of cheating in a 2024 Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board exam to recruit senior assistant-cum-inspectors.

3 min readChandigarhJan 30, 2026 05:08 PM IST

The court distinguished the case from earlier judgments involving organised cheating networks, impersonation and pre-exam paper leaks, noting that no such evidence was found here. (Source: File)

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a petition alleging irregularities in the recruitment of 184 senior assistant-cum-inspector posts by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board, holding that there was no credible evidence of paper leak or mass copying.

Justice Harpreet Singh Brar, in a judgment delivered on January 21, rejected the plea filed by Akashdeep Kaur and others, saying the allegations were based on conjecture and did not meet the legal threshold required to cancel an entire examination process.

The petitioners had challenged the written examination held on January 28, 2024, the result declared on August 12, 2024, and the typing test conducted on December 1 and 2, 2025. They sought a fresh examination, publication of a judicial inquiry report, registration of an FIR, and disciplinary action against candidates and officials.

After examining a sealed inquiry report prepared by a retired high court judge, Justice Brar found no substance in the allegations. The court noted that the inquiry examined claims of regional concentration of toppers, identical wrong answers, previous poor performance, age-related concerns, and family links among candidates.

On the allegation of identical incorrect answers, the court said forensic analysis of OMR sheets ruled out common authorship or tampering. The judgment cited the inquiry report, which said similarities in wrong answers could arise from common study material, elimination techniques or exam stress and did not establish collusion.

The court also rejected claims of coordinated cheating, noting that candidates from districts such as Mansa and Sangrur appeared at different centres across Chandigarh and SAS Nagar. It said the geographical concentration of successful candidates could not by itself invalidate a recruitment process.

Referring to 23 candidates from Mansa among the top 50, the court said the trend could reflect improved educational focus and access to resources, and should not automatically be treated as suspicious. It also accepted that candidates can show sudden improvement through focused preparation and effort.

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Relying on the Supreme Court ruling in Vanshika Yadav v. Union of India (2024), the court said an exam can be cancelled only when its integrity is compromised at a systemic level and it is impossible to separate tainted from untainted candidates. The petitioners, it said, failed to place sufficient or verifiable material to prove systemic fraud.

The court distinguished the case from earlier judgments involving organised cheating networks, impersonation and pre-exam paper leaks, noting that no such evidence was found here.

Justice Brar also noted that lead petitioner Akashdeep Kaur had scored 46 marks in the EWS category, placing her outside the zone of consideration, and had not raised any complaint during or immediately after the examination.

The court vacated the interim relief granted on December 22, 2025, and ordered the inquiry report to be returned to state counsel. With typing tests and document verification already completed, the recruitment process now stands cleared for final appointments.

Manraj Grewal Sharma

Manraj Grewal Sharma is a senior journalist and the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Chandigarh, where she leads the newspaper’s coverage of north India’s most politically and institutionally significant regions. From Punjab and Haryana to Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, she oversees reporting at the intersection of governance, law, politics and society. She also reports on the diaspora, especially in Canada and the US. With a career spanning journalism across several countries, academia and international development, Manraj brings a rare depth of perspective to regional reporting. She is widely regarded as a leading chronicler of Punjab’s contemporary history and socio-political evolution, particularly its long shadow of militancy, federal tensions and identity politics. Her book, Dreams after Darkness, remains a definitive account of the militancy years and their enduring aftermath. Professional Background & Expertise A gold medalist in mass communication and a post-graduate in English literature, Manraj has a multifaceted career spanning journalism, academia, and international development. She was also awarded a fellowship by National Foundation of India and did several in-depth pieces on Manipur. Internationally, she has reported from Israel, US, UK, Myanmar, and Mauritius Her key focus areas include: Regional Politics, History, Agriculture, Diaspora, and Security. Of late, she has started focusing on Legal & Judicial Affairs: Much of her recent work involves reporting on high-stakes cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, ranging from environmental policy to civil rights. International Consulting: She previously served as a consulting editor for the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network and a publishing consultant for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila. Academia: For five years, she was the managing editor of Gender, Technology and Development, a peer-reviewed international journal at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage focuses heavily on judicial interventions and regional governance: 1. Environment & Governance "‘NGT can’t test legality of policy’: HC hears challenge to Punjab’s ‘Green Habitat’ plan" (Dec 22, 2025): Covering a critical legal battle over whether the National Green Tribunal has the authority to strike down a state policy regularizing farmhouses on delisted forest land. "High court pulls up Punjab poll panel over audio clip probe" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on judicial concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of local body elections. 2. Legal Rights & Social Welfare "HC issues notice to Punjab, Haryana over delay in building old age homes" (Dec 22, 2025): Reporting on a contempt petition against top officials for failing to establish government-run homes for the elderly as promised in 2019. "Victims can appeal acquittals in sessions court without seeking special leave" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant procedural shift in criminal law following a Supreme Court ruling. "HC upholds benefits for Punjab FCI officer acquitted in 20-year-old bribery case" (Dec 19, 2025): A report on the concept of "honourable acquittal" and its impact on employee benefits. 3. Human Rights & Identity "As Punjab denies parole to MP Amritpal Singh, HC asks it to submit ‘foundational material’" (Dec 1, 2025): Covering the legal proceedings regarding the radical preacher and sitting MP's request to attend Parliament. "Protecting life paramount: HC backs Muslim woman in live-in after verbal divorce" (Nov 6, 2025): Analyzing judicial protections for personal liberty in the context of traditional practices. Signature Beats Manraj is recognized for her ability to decode complex judicial rulings and relate them to the everyday lives of citizens. Whether it is a 30-year-old land battle in Fazilka or the political implications of Kangana Ranaut’s candidacy in Mandi, her writing provides deep historical and regional context. Contact @grewal_sharma on X manrajgrewalsharma on Instagram ... Read More