Punjab-Haryana High Court
Ajay Kumar Singhmar vs State Of Haryana And Others on 23 February, 2026
CWP-34057-2025 -1-
107
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT
CHANDIGARH
CM-2510-CWP-2026 in/and
CWP-34057-2025 (O&M)
Date of decision: 23.02.2026
Ajay Kumar Singhmar
... Applicant-petitioner
Vs.
State of Haryana and others
... Respondents
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARPREET SINGH BRAR
Present: Mr. Sumit Sangwan, Advocate
for the applicant-petitioner.
Mr. Piyush Khanna, Addl. AG, Haryana.
Mr. Gurnoor S. Sandhu, Advocate
for respondent No.3-HPSC.
Mr. Prince Singh, Advocate
for respondent No.4-HSPCB.
*******
HARPREET SINGH BRAR, J. (ORAL)
CM-2510-CWP-2026
1. This application has been filed under Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 seeking advancement of date of hearing fixed in the main petition to an early date for final disposal.
2. In view of the averments made in the application, same is 1 of 5 ::: Downloaded on - 26-02-2026 21:40:51 ::: CWP-34057-2025 -2- allowed and date of hearing is preponed from 29.09.2026 to today. The main petition is taken on board for final disposal today itself. CWP-34057-2025
3. Instant civil writ petition has been filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari seeking quashing of the result dated 11.11.2025 (Annexure P-7), in which roll number of the petitioner is not mentioned, as his OMR sheet was not evaluated on the ground that he did not fill last one digit of his roll number in the circle/bubbles and de facto, his candidature stands rejected, for the post of Scientist-B (Group-B) in respondent No.4-Haryana State Pollution Control Board, advertised vide advt. No.04/2025 on 20.05.2025 (Annexure P-1) and further to issue a writ in the nature of mandamus directing respondent No.3- Haryana Public Service Commission to evaluate his OMR sheet manually and consider his candidature for the aforesaid post.
4. On 17.11.2025, following order was passed by this Court: -
"Prayer in this writ petition filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, is for issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari, for quashing the result dated 11.11.2025 (Annexure P-7). Further a writ of mandamus has been sought, directing respondent No.3 to evaluate the OMR sheet of the petitioner manually and consider his candidature in his category for the post in question for all intents and purposes in the selection process.
Learned counsel for the petitioner, inter alia, contends that 2 of 5 ::: Downloaded on - 26-02-2026 21:40:51 ::: CWP-34057-2025 -3- the petitioner appeared for the screening test for the post of Scientist-B and scored 42.75 marks against the category cut-off of 28.57. Further it is not a case that his candidature was cancelled only on the ground that when the OMR sheet of the petitioner was evaluated, he had not darken the last digit of his roll number in bubble though it is correctly written in words. The respondent/Commission has adopted a hyper-technical approach to reject his candidature. The rejection of the petitioner was a minor inadvertent error which did not affect the identification of his OMR sheet in any manner. The case of the petitioner is squarely covered by the judgment rendered by this Court in CWP-30581-2024, titled as Renu Sharma and others vs Haryana Public Service Commission (Annexure P-11). Although, the Division Bench of this Court in LPA-677-2025 (Annexure P-12) has ordered stay on the operation of the judgment passed by the Coordinate Bench of this Court while issuing notice of motion on 06.03.2025. However, in an identical controversy, the Division Bench of this Court in LPA-2375-2025, titled as Shobha Rani vs State of Haryana and others (Annexure P-13), has passed the interim order by allowing the appellant therein to provisionally participated in the subject knowledge test. Learned counsel for the petitioner further contends that the similar test for the post in which the petitioner has applied is scheduled to be held on 25.11.2025.
Notice of motion.
Mr. Vikrant Pamboo, Addl. A.G., Haryana who is present in the Court accepts notice on behalf of respondents No.1 and 2, Mr. Gurnoor S. Sandhu, Advocate, accepts notice on behalf of respondent No.3 while Mr. Prince Singh, Advocate, accepts 3 of 5 ::: Downloaded on - 26-02-2026 21:40:51 ::: CWP-34057-2025 -4- notice on behalf of respondent No.4 and seeks time to file reply.
Learned counsel for the petitioner is directed to supply a copy of paperbook to counsel opposite during course of the day.
Adjourned to 11.02.2026.
In the meantime, the petitioner is provisionally allowed to participate in the test which is scheduled to be held on 25.11.2025.
However, it is made clear that no vested or equitable right shall accrue to the petitioner on the strength of this interim relief and his participation as well as all further consequential steps shall remain subject to the final outcome of the present writ petition and the decision in LPA-2375-2025."
5. Since the present being a selection matter, due to paucity of time, it could not be taken up on the last date of hearing.
6. Learned counsel for respondent No.3-HPSC has produced the result of the petitioner in sealed cover, which is opened in the Court today and the same is taken on record as Mark 'X'. Registry is directed to tag the same at the appropriate place of the case file. A perusal of the same clearly indicates that last selected candidates in General Category and General- DESM category secured obtained 47.52 marks and 39.17 marks respectively, whereas the petitioner obtained 35.99 marks and as such, he failed to succeed in the selection process.
7. Faced with the above, learned counsel for the petitioner wishes to withdraw the present petition at this stage, as nothing survives in the same.
8. Dismissed as withdrawn at this stage.
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9. The pending miscellaneous application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.
[ HARPREET SINGH BRAR ]
23.02.2026 JUDGE
vishnu
Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes/No
Whether reportable : Yes/No
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