By Rana Ajit, IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court has decided to examine the Chhattisgarh government’s complaint of corruption and nepotism, endorsed by the president, against suspended Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CPSC) chairperson Ashok Darbari.
A bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrsihnan Thursday decided to examine the presidential reference after the state Advocate General Jugal Kishore Gilda told the court that the charges against the constitutional functionary were “too serious”.
The bench, which also included Justices R.V. Raveendran and J.M. Panchal, fixed Feb 1 for recording of the evidence by the state Anti Corruption Bureau against Darbari, who earlier served the state as its police chief.
The evidence against Darbari will be recorded by apex court judicial registrar.
Darbari was suspended from the post of CPSC chairperson in 2006 after charges of serious irregularity, bungling and corruption cropped up against him and other members of the state service commission in results of various examinations conducted by it.
But as he was a constitutional authority, and thereby enjoyed constitutional immunity, the Chhattisgarh government had sent its complaint to President Pratibha Patil, who forwarded it to the apex court for its judicial scrutiny under Article 317 of the constitution.
The apex court would give its advice to the president on the question of sacking the suspended CPSC chairperson after ascertaining the authenticity of the charges against Darbari in the complaint.
The state advocate general told the court that the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau had in 2006 registered a string of cases against Darbari after procuring evidence against him in the bungling of state’s 2003 and 2005 public service examination results.
There was also evidence of irregularities against Darbari in the recruitment of teachers by the commission in a government medical college at Raipur.