VIJAYAWADA: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the Group-1 Mains answer sheet evaluation controversy did not find any deliberate fraud or illegalities in the selection process, but merely highlighted administrative lapses and procedural violations, counsel representing the selected candidates informed the AP High Court on Tuesday.
Presenting arguments before a division bench comprising Justice Donadi Ramesh and Justice A Hariharanadha Sarma on the fifth day of final hearings, senior advocate Surendra Rao and Advocate Shiva Santhosh submitted that minor administrative deficiencies cannot form the basis for scrapping the entire recruitment process or punishing candidates who were validly selected without any wrongdoing.
The defence advocates emphasised that the SIT report contains no findings to indicate that selected candidates obtained undue benefit or that the recruitment was carried out through fraudulent means.
They pointed out that the manual evaluation in Vijayawada was conducted pursuant to an official decision taken by then APPSC Chairman Gautam Sawang. Arguing that selected candidates should not be made scapegoats for procedural errors committed by officials, the lawyers asserted that cancelling the selection would turn innocent candidates into victims.
During the proceedings, APPSC Standing Counsel GVL Murthy informed the bench that the commission possesses no official records explaining who made the initial decision to evaluate answer scripts at the Haailand resort, nor are there records documenting the subsequent cancellation of the Haailand valuation process. The division bench, after hearing arguments, adjourned further hearings on the batch of writ appeals to October 12.
The legal battle stems from a March 13, 2024 order by a single-judge bench that set aside the Group-1 Mains examination results, citing irregularities in manual valuation and directing APPSC to conduct fresh examinations.
