Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has set aside the order of a single judge for a one-time six-year relaxation of upper age eligibility for applying to the posts of constables and sepoys in the state police. The HC acknowledged that fixing of age limit is a policy matter.
While disposing of a batch of writ appeals filed by the state government, the High Court set aside the single judge’s order of December 5, 2024, after it was informed on March 25 that the state suo motu came up with a three years upper age relaxation as a “one-time benevolent measure.”
In the order uploaded on March 28, the division bench of Justice Arindam Sinha (then Acting Chief Justice) and Justice M S Sahoo said, “On query from court, respondents, through their advocates, accept the benevolent measure of being given three years upper age relaxation in respect of categories of candidates, who appeared in the written examination pursuant to advertisement dated 22nd September, 2024.”
“We have ascertained that respondents in the appeals concede their grounds of opposition to impugned Single Judge’s order being interfered with in appeal, by accepting the upper age relaxation granted by state. Impugned judgment is, therefore, set aside,” the bench said.
Notably, the state police recruitment board had invited applications for 1,360 posts of constables/sepoys across different battalions through an advertisement issued on September 22, 2024. Several candidates who had crossed 23 years of age challenged the upper age limit saying they were adversely affected by delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the prolonged non-advertisement of posts.
Considering the petitions, the single judge issued the six-year age relaxation order on December 5, 2024. Consequently, candidates qualifying under the six-year age relaxation were allowed to appear the written examination.
However, the state government filed appeals against the order and the division bench issued an interim stay on the appointment process undertaken on the basis of advertisement issued on September 22, 2024. The division bench had asked the state government to consider allowing age relaxation by itself.
Subsequently, advocate general Pitambar Acharya submitted a written note on March 25, saying a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister decided that as a one-time benevolent measure in the larger interest of the candidates who have appeared in the written examination, will be given three years upper age limit relaxation.
