DEHRADUN: The Nainital High Court on Tuesday ordered the state government to respond to allegations of corruption and irregularities in the Uttarakhand Assembly's backdoor recruitment scam within three weeks.
The court will resume hearing the case on October 15, pending the government's response.
The Nainital High Court has taken cognizance of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Abhinav Thapar, a prominent Congress leader and social activist from Dehradun, seeking a thorough investigation into alleged corruption in Uttarakhand Assembly recruitments. The court has also ordered the recovery of government funds from those involved in the scam.
On February 28, 2024, the High Court issued stern directives, categorically stating that all backdoor recruitments made by the Assembly between 2021 and 2022 violated established rules and procedures. The court's explicit ruling has set the stage for a comprehensive probe into the scandal."
Advocate Abhijay Negi, representing petitioner Abhinav Thapar, told TNIE, "A division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Alok Kumar Verma agreed on February 28 this year that irregularities and corruption occurred in Assembly backdoor appointments, based on facts and records presented by the Assembly and the petitioner."
Negi added, "The court directed action as per the February 6, 2003, government order, which explicitly mentions 'recovery from dignitaries' for wrongful appointments and other provisions".
Petitioner Abhinav Thapar presented key points before the High Court, alleging that the government's February 6, 2003, order violated constitutional provisions and assembly rules. Specifically, the order imposed an unlawful ban on ad hoc appointments, failed to recover misused government funds, and contravened Articles 14, 16, and 187 of the Constitution, which guarantee equal job opportunities and rule-based recruitment for all citizens.
Abhinav Thapar, the petitioner, told TNIE, "We have submitted a report with all facts to the High Court for further action, as per the court's orders. We are fighting for the rights of over 12 lakh unemployed youth in the state."
Thapar added, "On February 28, 2024, the court acknowledged our facts, stating that all backdoor appointments in the Assembly from 2000 to 2022 were corruption-ridden. We demand that corrupt officers, Assembly speakers, and CMs who gave jobs through wrongful means be held accountable, and government funds be recovered from them."