SC rejects plea against Allahabad HC order quashing appointment of UPPSC Chairperson

New Delhi: UPPSC chairperson Anil Kumar Yadav, whose appointment was held as "illegal" by the Allahabad High Court, on Friday failed to get any relief with the Supreme Court dismissing his appeal against the verdict.

A bench of justices TS Thakur and V Gopala Gowda upheld the high court order saying that the prescribed procedures have not been followed in his appointment.

Terming the post as "constitutional", the court said it was not a political appointment and the government should have followed the due process while scrutinising over 80 applications and finalising the name for the post of the Chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC).

Earlier, the High Court had quashed Yadav's appointment as "illegal" and had rapped the Samajwadi Party government for having "breached its constitutional duty" by appointing him without carrying out a proper inquiry with regard to his "integrity and competence".

It had passed the order on a petition filed by advocate Satish Kumar Singh and several others.

It was alleged that Yadav's appointment was made after ignoring facts that he was named in cases under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) and the Goonda Act registered in his native district of Agra.

Yadav, however, had submitted that he has been acquitted in the cases while the High Court made it clear that it was passing the order "without going into the merits of allegations of criminal antecedents of the respondent".

It was alleged that Yadav, who was posted as a lecturer at Chitragupta Degree College in Mainpuri district prior to his current assignment, had falsely claimed in his bio-data that he was the Principal.

The high court, while perusing materials placed on record, had noted with displeasure that Yadav had concealed the fact that though he was promoted to the post of Principal many years ago, his promotion was challenged in the High Court and subsequently set aside and that the Special Leave Petition he filed in the Supreme Court was also turned down.