RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday quashed the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission’s (JSSC) order to blacklist Vincent Technology in the Jharkhand Diploma level Joint Entrance Competitive Examination paper leak case, terming it as erroneous. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on JSSC. The order was passed by a division Bench of Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Rajesh Shankar.
The court directed that the JSSC should pay the company's bank guarantee of Rs 61 lakh back to it besides the outstanding bill of Rs 2.90 crore with 7 percent interest within four weeks. During the hearing, the court observed that a company cannot be blacklisted for lifetime only on the basis of police report. Notably, Vincent Technology was responsible for conducting the CGL exam 2020-21.
The paper of this exam held on 3 July 2022 was leaked, after which JSSC canceled the exam and the company was blacklisted. The Staff Selection Commission told the court that the company has been blacklisted in view of the police report. The police report had raised suspicion of the company's involvement. Senior advocates Ajit Kumar and Vikalp Gupta, appearing on behalf of the company, told the court that the agency had delivered sealed papers to all the centers and they have no involvement in the paper leak case.
The police had registered an FIR, but have not yet filed any charge sheet. The police gave the report in 2024, in which it was written that there is no truth in the allegations made against the company. JSSC is also not paying the company's bill.
Advocates Sanjay Piperwal and Prince Kumar Singh, appearing on behalf of JSSC, said that the commission had to cancel the examination conducted by the company, due to which, the bill could not be paid.
Therefore, the court directed the commission to pay the bill given by the company with seven percent interest. The court said that if the security money of the company has been seized, then the commission should return it. The court was informed that the examination was conducted in Ranchi, Bokaro and East Singhbhum districts on July 3, 2022. After the paper leak and police investigation, the examination was canceled on July 25, 2022.