Plea challenges selection of 35 Delhi school principals over forged documents

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A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court, calling for an investigation into the appointment of 35 newly-recruited principals in Delhi government schools. The plea alleges that these appointments were made based on forged and fabricated documents. The public interest litigation claims that the candidates misrepresented themselves, were selected illegally, and that the Department of Education in Delhi government failed to properly scrutinize their submitted documents, resulting in erroneous selections.

During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel, Navendu Charitable Trust, requested time to involve individuals accused of wrongdoing. Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula granted the request and scheduled further proceedings for October 18. The Delhi government was represented by Santosh Kumar Tripathi and Arun Panwar.

The petition reveals that some candidates submitted fake Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates, even though their annual family income exceeded Rs 8 lakh. Others took advantage of the Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation and presented fake experience documents. The plea suggests that while these cases have been identified, there may be more instances of misrepresentation and illegal selection.

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"Due to the erroneous and wrong selection, a number of deserving candidates has been rejected, resulting in violation of Article 16 of the Constitution. These candidates are for probation period and withdrawing more than Rs 1.75 lakh (monthly) salary and if they get permanent, the procedure for investigation will become more complex," the plea said.

"Due to the scam, the actual deserving employees are suffering and unemployment is one of the utmost issues in India and amongst this, high unemployment rate this despicable fraud is happening," it alleged.

The petition argues that the erroneous and unjust selection process violates Article 16 of the Constitution. These candidates are on probation, receiving a monthly salary exceeding Rs 1.75 lakh. If they become permanent employees, investigating the matter will become even more complex. The petition highlights the impact of such fraudulent activities on deserving candidates and emphasizes the significance of addressing unemployment issues in India. (With inputs from PTI)