3 days Ago By lalmohan.patnaik
CUTTACK: A candidate who conceals criminal antecedents or provides false declarations forfeits the right to seek appointment, Orissa high court has ruled. Justice S K Panigrahi issued the ruling recently while dismissing a petition challenging the cancellation of a candidate's application for the post of junior overman (trainee) at NLC India Limited . The candidate had failed to disclose three pending FIRs against him when applying for the position.
"The concealment of the FIRs undermines this principle and raises concerns about the candidate's integrity," the judge observed in an order released on December 24. NLC countered the petitioner's claim that the suppression was inadvertent. It argued that the claim was untenable, as the application form and instructions clearly required the disclosure of pending criminal cases, with non-compliance being grounds for disqualification.
"These FIRs, though not resulting in convictions or formal arrests by the court, were material to the application process and should have been disclosed. The petitioner's failure to disclose these FIRs, even though no court arrest occurred, constitutes suppression of material information," HC ruled. The impact of withholding such material information, including involvement in criminal cases, falls within the employer's discretion to assess, the judge observed.
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