New Delhi: The Supreme Court has allowed 208 candidates to appear in the main examination to select additional district judges in Madhya Pradesh while ordering an investigation by the postal department into what caused delay in receipt of their applications.
One of the chief reasons cited as a ground of delay in postal services was week-long mourning declared by the state government as a mark of respect to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who died in Delhi on August 16.
The last date for receipt of applications in the registry of High Court at Jabalpur was August 25. But the applications sent through speed post or registered post on or before August 21 did not reach the High Court and all such candidates were denied the permission to appear in the main examination.
Appearing for a batch of writ petitions, senior counsel Vikas Singh contended that the delay was solely on account of lapses by the state postal department and the candidates should not be made to suffer.
A bench headed by Justice Kurian Joseph, as an interim order, allowed the 208 candidates to appear in the main exam provisionally, subject to the final outcome of the writ petitions.
The court asked the candidates to submit before the High Court Registrar on Friday proof of their postal despatch and receive their admit cards.
The bench also ordered an inquiry into the episode as to the reason of the delay.
"We direct the Post Master General concerned to conduct an inquiry as to what was the reason for undue delay in delivering the postal articles in the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur and submit a report to this Court, within a month from today," ordered the court.
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