Andhra Pradesh High Court - Amravati
Polipalli Srikar And Others vs Gogireddy Venkata Lakshmi And Others on 11 February, 2026
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APHC010138152024
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
AT AMARAVATI [3545]
(Special Original Jurisdiction)
WEDNESDAY,THE ELEVENTH DAY OF FEBRUARY
TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE BATTU DEVANAND
THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE A. HARI HARANADHA SARMA
WRIT APPEAL NO: 274/2024
Between:
Polipalli Srikar and Others ...APPELLANT(S)
AND
Gogireddy Venkata Lakshmi and Others ...RESPONDENT(S)
IA NO: 4 OF 2025
Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in
the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased may
be pleased to a. Allow the present application and implead the Commissioner of
Collegiate Education, Andhra Pradesh, having office at 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th
Floors, Neeladri Towers, Sri Ramnagar, 6th Battalion Road, Atmakur (V),
Mangalagiri (M), Guntur - 522503, as Respondent No. 105 in the above Writ
Appeal and also in connected proceedings, as a necessary and proper party and
b. Consequently, direct the said Respondent No. 105 to file a detailed sworn
affidavit and place before this Hon'ble Court the original and authentic records
relating to the furnishing of panels/lists of evaluators, if any, to the Andhra
Pradesh Public Service Commission in relation to Notification No.27/2018,
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during the disputed periods of November-December 2021 and March 2022 to
June 2022, strictly in accordance with the prescribed Rules and Regulations
governing the evaluation process, including but not limited to i. Complete copies
of note files, movement registers, office notings, correspondence sheets and
final approvals pertaining to the calling, selection and recommendation of
evaluators for the Group-1 Mains Examination ii. Certified copies of inward and
outward registers maintained by the Office of the Commissioner of Collegiate
Education reflecting all communications exchanged with APPSC in relation to
evaluator selection and evaluation during the said periods iii. Copies of all
proceedings, memos, circulars, official letters, emails or instructions issued or
received for the purpose of selection and engagement of evaluators for the said
examination iv. Certified copies of all proposals, recommendations and
communications submitted for the engagement of evaluators, including remarks
recorded at each stage of decision-making V. The complete subject-wise
lists/panels of evaluators, if any, furnished to APPSC, including their names,
designations, subjects assigned, institutional affiliations and college/university
details; vi. Records evidencing the dates of forwarding of such panels, the mode
of transmission, acknowledgment and receipt by APPSC vii. All correspondence
exchanged between the Office of the Commissioner of Collegiate Education and
APPSC, including reminders, clarifications, objections and approvals viii. All
documents evidencing compliance with Rule-17 of the APPSC Regulations and
the Office Manual governing nomination and engagement of evaluators ix. Any
records reflecting deviation relaxation or modification of the prescribed
procedure, along with the authority and justification for the same. C. Pass
Counsel for the Appellant(S):
1. ANUP KOUSHIK KARAVADI
Counsel for the Respondent(S):
1. GP FOR SERVICES I
2. CHALASANI AJAY KUMAR
3. V VENKATA NAGA RAJU
4. GUTTA NAVEEN KUMAR
The Court made the following:
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THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE BATTU DEVANAND
And
THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE A. HARI HARANADHA SARMA
I.A.No.4 of 2025 in
W.A.NO.274 OF 2024
ORDER :(Per Hon'ble Sri Justice Battu Devanand) I. Introductory:
Questioning the orders passed in a bath of Writ Petitions vide W.P.No.15701, 15757, 15765, 15844, 16646, 21894, 15745, 15758, 15806, 15750 of 2022, the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and the selected candidates filed Writ Appeals Nos.258, 259, 269, 271, 274, 277, 279, 287, 314, 317, 318, 319, 338, 339, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 348, 349, 354, 357, 358, 360, 362, 363, 364, 369, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 407, 420 and 442 of 2024.
2. After reserving the matters for judgment, the matters were posted for some clarification. At that stage, this application is filed by the appellants in W.A.No.274 of 2024.
3. [i] This application is filed with the following prayers: 4
(a) Allow the present application and implead the Commissioner of Collegiate Education, Andhra Pradesh having office at 2 nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Floors, Neeladri Towers, Sri Ramnagar, 6th Battalion Road, Atmakur (V), Mangalagiri (M), Guntur - 522 503 as Respondnet No.105 in the above Writ Appeal and also in connected proceedings as a necessary and proper party; and
(b) Consequently, direct the said respondent No.105 to file a detailed sworn affidavit and place before this Hon'ble Court the original and authentic records relating to the furnishing of panels/lists of evaluators, if any, to the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission in relating to Notification No.27/2018, during the disputed periods of November-December 201 and March 2022 to June 2022, strictly in accordance with the prescribed Rules and Regulations governing the valuation process, including but not limited to:
i. Complete copies of note files, movement registers, office notings, correspondence sheets and final approvals pertaining to the calling, selection and recommendation of evaluators for the Group-I Mains Examination;
ii. Certified copies of inward and outward registers maintained by the Office of the Commissioner of Collegiate Education reflecting all communications exchanged with APPSC in relation to evaluator selection and evaluation during the said periods;
iii. Copies of all proceedings, memos, circulars, official letters, emails or instructions issued or received for the purpose of selection and engagement of evaluators for the said examination;
iv. Certified copies of all proposals, recommendations and communications submitted for the engagement of evaluators, including remarks recorded at each stage of decision-making;
v. The complete subject-wise lists/panels of evaluators, if any, furnished to APPSC, including their names, designations, subjects assigned, institutional affiliations and college/university details;
vi. Records evidencing the dates of forwarding of such panels, the mode of transmission, acknowledgment and receipt by APPSC;
vii. All correspondence exchanged between the Office of the Commissioner of Collegiate Education and APPSC, including reminders, clarifications, objections and approvals;5
viii. All documents evidencing compliance with Rule-17 of the APPSC Regulations and the Office Manual governing nomination and engagement of evaluators;
ix. Any records reflecting deviation, relaxation or modification of the prescribed procedure, along with the authority and justification for the same.
Discussion and Reasoning:-
4. The aspects relevant, in brief, for considering the present application is as follows:-
i. Pointing out certain illegalities and irregularities by APPSC in the process of valuation of Group-I services, main examination, the Writ Petitions vide W.P.No.15701 of 2022 and batch, were filed seeking to declare the action of the Respondents in evaluating the performance of candidates in Main Written Examination held for Group I Services by Notification No.27/2018 dated 31.12.2018 of the 2nd Respondent -APPSC by adopting different standard of evaluation consequent up on passing of Judgment in WP Nos.11000 of 2021 and Batch dated 01.10.2021 and consequential publication of results thereof on 26.05.2022 in the APPSC website as unconstitutional, arbitrary, illegal and consequently to set aside the same.
ii. The Writ Petitions were allowed by the learned Single Judge directing the APPSC to conduct Group-I (Mains) Examination afresh for Notification No.27/2018, on the grounds, inter alia others, , 6
(a) There was more than one valuation against the Rules.
(b) The valuation was done at private place through private agency against the norms and the answer scripts were kept at private place for a period of more than 60 days, without proper authority.
(c) The entire valuation process is clouded with illegalities and irregularities.
(d) There is abnormal difference in the list of selected candidates between the valuation done through digital process and the physical process.
5. The contents of this application indicating justification for the prayer sought for, in brief are as follows:-
(1) This Court is in the course of preparing for judgment looked into the record and deemed it is necessary for further clarification from APPSC, as to procedural deficiencies. Mainly with regard to custody of answer sheets and the directions of the co-ordinate bench of this Court dated 24.06.2022 were not complied, the learned Advocate General appearing for APPSC submitted that the same will be complied and thereafter additional affidavit dated 14.11.2025 filed, which travelled beyond the original scope, a reply affidavit was also filed for that.7
(2) An application under Right to Information Act was also filed by the deponent relating to the procedure adopted for selection of evaluators etc., and replies were issued, indicating the procedure that the Chairman of APPSC vested with the authority to nominate Examiners for valuation of Group-I services Main examination answer sheets subject wise, from the panels of experts received from various Universities of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and from Commissioner of Collegiate Education. (3) This Court, to ascertain whether any marks are in fact entered on OMR sheets and to unravel the true factual position concerning the disputed evaluation process, constituted a Committee with certain scope.
The involvement of commission of Collegiate education will enable the Court to factually verify whether statutory process was honoured or bye- passed. Therefore, the present application is filed to direct the respondent No.105 to file detailed sworn affidavit and place before this Court Original and authenticate record relating to furnishing of panels/lists of evaluators to the Public Service Commission for the disputed period of November to December 2021 and March 2022 to June 2022:
1. Note files
2. Inward and outward registers.
3. Copies of all proceedings including memos, letters. 8
4. Certified copies of proposals and recommendations.
5. Subject-wise list of panels, evaluators,
6. Records evidencing the dates of forwarding of such panels.
7. All correspondence and compliance with Rule-17 of APPSC Regulations.
6. Any specific change in the circumstances from the stage of Writ Petition to present stage, to seek for the information, is not shown by the applicants. The procedure with regard to selection of examiners short-listing of the same, addressing letters to Universities etc. was asserted in the counter affidavit filed on behalf of the APPSC long back. Furnishing of list of examiners is claimed as a confidential aspect. Furnishing for verification by the Court is a different from furnishing the same for information to the public at large including the candidates, who appeared for the examination. The minute details sought for in the application is nothing sort of an attempt to fish for some material to read between the lines and to further delay the process. Therefore, either necessity of information or records sought for or bonafides in the efforts is not found. Therefore, prayer in the petition found not convincing.
7. With regard to furnishing of list of examiners, the issue some extent is covered by I.A.No.1 of 2025 in W.A.No.271 of 2024 and the same has been answered that such list and names cannot be disclosed by referring to Kerala 9 Public Service Commission and others1' case therefore, the relief in the application cannot be granted.
8. Accordingly, I.A. No.4 of 2025 is dismissed.
__________________________ JUSTICE BATTU DEVANAND __________________________________ JUSTICE A.HARI HARANADHA SARMA Dated:11 .02.2026 Pnr 1 2016 (3) SCC 417 10 THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE BATTU DEVANAND & THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE A. HARI HARANADHA SARMA I.A.NO.4 of 2025 in W.A.NO.274 OF 2024 Dt.11-02-2026 Pnr