New Delhi, May 15

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed appeals challenging a 2008 advertisement and the subsequent process of recruitment to the Punjab Superior Judicial Service, holding that a seat that fell vacant on the elevation of a judge after the publication of advertisement cannot be included in the recruitment.

A Bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul dismissed the appeals by five general category candidates (advocates) who had appeared for the examination, but could not make it to the merit list, saying it was not possible to put the clock back after a decade.

Applications were invited for 21 positions, including 10 from general category. The number of posts was subject to variation. Since one of the SC candidates made it to the merit list without the benefit of quota, he was given the job under the general category and only nine general category candidates were recruited. The petitioners had contended that after one judicial officer was elevated to the High Court in 2008, one more seat in the general category had become available. The SC rejected the contention. — TNS