Kohima, Sept 21: The Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court has annulled the appointments of 935 Nagaland Police Constables made from January 2018 to October 2019, citing procedural errors. Justice Devashis Baruah issued the ruling in response to a writ petition from unemployed youth in Kohima and Chümoukedima, who criticized the appointments as “backdoor” entries made without public notice.
The petitioners’ counsel argued that the selection process lacked transparency, with no public criteria disclosed, and claimed a “pick-and-choose” approach was used. In his ruling, Justice Baruah directed the Nagaland government to conduct a fresh recruitment process, requiring public advertisements in major local newspapers.
The Court insisted that this new process must comply with legal standards and be completed ideally within six months. While basic qualifications and physical standards must be strictly enforced, the Court allowed a relaxation of the upper age limit for both the dismissed appointees and petitioners. Additionally, it permitted the State to retain the private respondents in service for up to six months from the judgment date or until new appointments are finalized.
