New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to stay the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) mains examination scheduled for April 25 and rejected pleas alleging paper leak during a preliminary test on December 13 last year.
A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan dismissed a batch of petitions seeking the cancellation of the 70th BPSC Combined Competitive Preliminary Exams, citing a lack of conclusive evidence to justify a re-test for all candidates.
Senior advocate Anjana Prakash, appearing for the petitioners, argued that digital evidence, including WhatsApp messages and video clips, demonstrated that question papers were leaked before the exam.
One such video allegedly showed answers being announced via loudspeakers at an examination centre, she added.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an order in response to pleas challenging a Patna High Court verdict that had dismissed petitions alleging large-scale malpractice during the BPSC exam. The high court had ruled that there was no conclusive evidence of irregularities across multiple exam centres, thereby allowing the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) to go ahead with the mains examination.
Earlier, on January 7, a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna had declined to entertain a separate plea regarding alleged irregularities in the BPSC exam held on December 13, 2024, and the subsequent police crackdown on protesting civil service aspirants. The court had advised the petitioners to approach the Patna High Court with their concerns.
Bihar police were accused of using force against protesters demanding the cancellation of the December 13 exam. In response to the controversy, the BPSC held a re-examination on January 4 at 22 centres in Patna for select candidates.
Of the 12,012 candidates eligible for the retest, 8,111 downloaded their admit cards and 5,943 appeared for the exam.
