Delhi HC orders swift trial in Haryana Judicial Paper leak
Delhi HC directs dday-to-day trial in Haryana Judicial Paper Leak Case
- By Gurmehar --
- Sunday, 21 Jan, 2024
The Delhi High Court has directed a trial court to expedite proceedings in a case related to the alleged leak of the 2017 Haryana Civil Services (Judicial) preliminary examination paper. The court emphasized the seriousness of the matter and urged the parties involved to cooperate for a swift trial. The case had been transferred from Chandigarh to Delhi as per the Supreme Court's orders.
Timeline and charges:
An FIR was lodged in 2017 based on a complaint from the Punjab and Haryana high court regarding the paper leak. The court suspended Dr. Balwinder Kumar Sharma, the former registrar (recruitment) of the Punjab and Haryana high court, after the incident. Charges, including cheating, criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence, were framed against Sharma in 2020.
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Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma instructed the trial court to conclude the matter positively on or before April 15, 2024, and submit a compliance report to the Delhi High Court. The directive comes following a recent decision by the Delhi HC to uphold charges against Sharma, who had challenged the trial court's order dismissing his application for summoning documents.
Background of the case:
The prosecution alleged that Sharma, in his role as the registrar, had custody of the question paper from its finalization to dispatch to the examination center. It was further claimed that Sharma shared a copy of the question paper with a co-accused, Sunita, who, in turn, distributed it for monetary gain.
In 2021, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Delhi based on Sharma's request. The recent directive aims to ensure an expeditious trial in this significant paper leak case.