HC asks govt to allow candidate to undergo training for S-I post

The Allahabad high court has directed the state government to allow a candidate, who was earlier acquitted by the court in a criminal case, to undergo training for the post of sub-inspector.

The order was passed by justice DK Arora while hearing a petition filed by a candidate Puneet Kumar.

The petitioner contended that though an FIR had been lodged against him in the past, he was declared not guilty by a competent court and the state government did not file any appeal against the decision.

He said that as no criminal case was pending against him, he should be allowed to undergo training.

The petitioner said that he had applied for the post of sub-inspector in civil police in response to an advertisement issued by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotional Board, Lucknow, on May 19, 2011. After due procedure, he was selected under unreserved category.

The petitioner was required to appear for medical examination, document verification and submission of an affidavit that no criminal case or police investigation was pending against him.

He cleared t he medical examination after which he submitted an affidavit that a criminal case in pursuance of an FIR dated November 12, 2011 (case crime number 599 of 2011) was lodged against him at Sikandarabad police station in Bulandshahr. He said that he was acquitted vide judgement and order dated May 6, 2015 passed by the additional district and sessions judge, Bulandshahr.

However, the petitioner was not sent for training. The counsel of the petitioner argued that the judgment and order had attained finality as no appeal had been filed against it.

The court held that since the petitioner had been acquitted and no appeal was filed to challenge the order, it was wrong to withhold his training on the ground that a criminal case was registered against him in the past.