Bilaspur : In a significant setback for the Chhattisgarh Government, the Chhattisgarh High Court has quashed the 2025 recruitment process and selection results for the post of Assistant Fisheries Officer, holding that the recruitment exercise was conducted in violation of statutory rules and previous judicial directions.
The judgment was delivered by the single-judge bench of Justice Bibhu Datta Guru, who observed that the concerned department had failed to comply with the clear directions issued earlier by a Division Bench of the High Court and had not followed the recruitment procedure prescribed under the applicable rules.
Court Sets Aside Recruitment Results
The High Court has cancelled the selection results dated April 30, 2025, as well as the final selection list published on May 19, 2025.
The Court directed the State Government to conduct the entire recruitment process afresh in accordance with the Recruitment Rules, 2009 and the earlier directions of the Division Bench.
The ruling effectively nullifies the recruitment process carried out in 2025 for the Assistant Fisheries Officer posts.
Background of the Case
The dispute originates from the recruitment process initiated in 2014 for eight posts of Assistant Fisheries Officer in Chhattisgarh.
The petitioners alleged that despite meeting the prescribed eligibility criteria, they were initially declared ineligible by the department.
The matter subsequently reached the Chhattisgarh High Court on multiple occasions and was eventually considered by a Division Bench, which directed the State Government to reconsider the cases of the petitioners on an equal footing with all other candidates.
Failure to Comply with Division Bench Directions
According to the High Court, the purpose of the earlier Division Bench order was to ensure a comparative evaluation of all eligible candidates in a fair and transparent manner.
However, instead of reassessing the petitioners alongside all candidates, the department reportedly compared them only with one candidate from the waiting list before completing the selection process.
The Court ruled that such an approach did not amount to compliance with the Division Bench’s directions.
It observed that limiting the comparison to a single waiting-list candidate defeated the objective of ensuring equal consideration for all eligible applicants.
Recruitment Committee Found to Be Improperly Constituted
The High Court also expressed serious concern over the constitution of the Selection Committee.
As per the Assistant Fisheries Officer Recruitment Rules, 2009, the recruitment committee was required to consist of three members.
However, the department constituted a five-member committee without any statutory provision authorizing such a change.
The Court held that the interviews conducted by an improperly constituted committee were inconsistent with the recruitment rules and therefore legally unsustainable.
Court Emphasizes Rule of Law
In its judgment, the Court reiterated the well-established legal principle that when the law prescribes a specific procedure for performing an official act, that procedure must be followed strictly.
The Court observed that any deviation from the prescribed statutory process renders the entire recruitment exercise legally invalid.
It held that both the department’s failure to comply with the earlier judicial directions and its departure from the prescribed recruitment rules constituted serious procedural irregularities.
Directions to the State Government
While setting aside the recruitment process, the High Court directed the State Government to:
- Conduct a fresh selection process.
- Follow the Recruitment Rules, 2009 in their entirety.
- Ensure that all eligible candidates are assessed on an equal basis.
- Strictly comply with the earlier Division Bench directions.
- Carry out the recruitment process in a fair, transparent, and legally compliant manner.
The Court emphasized that the reassessment should be undertaken objectively to ensure equal opportunity for every eligible candidate.
Implications of the Judgment
The decision is expected to have significant administrative implications, as the State Government will now have to restart the recruitment process for the Assistant Fisheries Officer posts.
The ruling also reinforces the judiciary’s emphasis on adherence to statutory recruitment procedures and compliance with court orders in public appointments.
Key Highlights
- The Chhattisgarh High Court has cancelled the 2025 recruitment process and selection results for the post of Assistant Fisheries Officer.
- Justice Bibhu Datta Guru held that the recruitment was conducted in violation of the Recruitment Rules, 2009 and earlier Division Bench directions.
- The Court quashed the selection results dated April 30, 2025, and the final list published on May 19, 2025.
- The dispute relates to the recruitment of eight Assistant Fisheries Officer posts originally advertised in 2014.
- The Court found that the department failed to conduct a comparative assessment of all eligible candidates, contrary to the earlier judicial order.
- It also held that the five-member Selection Committee was constituted without statutory authority, whereas the rules prescribed a three-member committee.
- The State Government has been directed to conduct a fresh recruitment process in accordance with the Recruitment Rules, 2009, and the earlier directions of the High Court.
Source: Judgment of the Chhattisgarh High Court, delivered by Justice Bibhu Datta Guru, concerning the recruitment of Assistant Fisheries Officers, and court proceedings relating to the implementation of the Recruitment Rules, 2009 and earlier Division Bench directions, as reported on July 30, 2026.
