Gopal Subramanium for Punjab & Haryana HC in Haryana Judicial service paper leakage controversy

The Supreme Court today issued notice to Punjab & Haryana High Court and State of Haryana and Haryana Police in the case relating to leakage of question papers of Haryana Judicial Service exam..The matter was heard by a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud..Senior Advocate Gopal Subramanium appeared for Punjab & Haryana High Court..The Supreme Court had, on October 5, taken suo moto cognizance of the matter and transferred to itself the case pending in the Punjab & Haryana High Court on the controversy..Interestingly, this was done after the Supreme Court had initially rejected a transfer petition filed by the petitioner, Suman..The earlier transfer petition filed by Suman contained some serious allegations. The petitioner had prayed for shifting the case pending in the Punjab & Haryana High Court to the Delhi High Court..On September 12, a Bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud had dismissed that petition, stating that the petitioner can approach it after the High Court decides the matter..Subsequently, in a curious change of mind the Court had taken suo moto cognizance of the matter and transferred the case from P&H High Court to itself..The controversy in question came to light when Suman moved the High Court alleging that prior to the examination, she was approached by one Sunita and one Sushila, who offered to provide her with the question paper for a payment of Rs. 1 crore. The duo also leaked two questions to her, and on the next day, those two questions actually appeared in the paper..The petitioner, therefore, moved the Punjab & Haryana High Court, and sought CBI investigation into the matter..The case in the High Court was initially being heard by a single judge. Subsequently, it was withdrawn from the single judge Bench and posted before a three-judge Bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal, Rajan Gupta and GS Sandhawalia of the Punjab & Haryana High Court. The role of Registrar (Recruitment) Dr. Balwinder Sharma was being looked into by the High Court..The High Court had also passed an order scrapping the results of this year’s edition of the exam.