The Delhi High Court has requested the Delhi government’s response to a plea urging authorities to investigate the appointment of 35 newly recruited government school principals. The public interest litigation (PIL) alleges that these individuals submitted “forged and fabricated documents.” The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora, also sought responses from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the principals. The court has scheduled further hearings for July 8.

The PIL contends that the 35 candidates manipulated the selection process and were “illegally” chosen. It accuses the Delhi government’s Department of Education of failing to thoroughly scrutinize the submitted documents, resulting in erroneous selections. The petitioner, Navendu Charitable Trust, claims to have evidence against other principals as well. The court had previously directed the petitioner to include the accused individuals as parties to the case.

The petition alleges various malpractices, such as the submission of fake Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates and the exploitation of reservation quotas with fake experience documents. It suggests that more candidates may have misrepresented themselves, leading to illegal selections. The petition emphasizes the violation of Article 16 of the Constitution and the adverse impact on deserving candidates.

The plea underscores the responsibility of school principals in shaping the future of children, asserting that corruption in their selection process is intolerable. It criticizes the Delhi government’s education department for neglecting its duty to verify candidate records, resulting in the alleged selection of misrepresented individuals. The plea seeks a directive for the Delhi government to investigate the selection process before the probation period concludes and to conduct an inquiry with fairness and diligence.

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