CUTTACK: A candidate who conceals criminal record or gives false statements loses the right to seek appointment, the Orissa High Court has ruled.
Justice SK Panigrahi issued the ruling recently while dismissing a petition challenging the cancellation of the application of a candidate for the post of junior supervisor (trainee) in NLC India Limited. The candidate had not disclosed three pending FIRs against him when he applied for the post. “The concealment of FIRs undermines this principle and raises concerns about the integrity of the candidate,” the judge observed in an order published on December 24.
NLC disputed the petitioner’s claim that the deletion was involuntary. He argued that the claim was unsustainable as the application form and instructions clearly required disclosure of pending criminal cases, non-compliance being grounds for disqualification.
“These FIRs, although they did not result in formal convictions or arrests by the court, were important to the application process and should have been disclosed. The petitioner’s failure to disclose these FIRs, despite the fact that no judicial arrest, constitutes suppression of important information.” HC failed. The impact of withholding such material information, including involvement in criminal cases, is within the employer’s discretion to assess, the judge noted.