SC appoints amicus, issues notice in plea challenging Bihar PSC Chairman

Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Supreme Court on Monday (February 3, 2025) appointed an amicus curiae and issued formal notice to the State of Bihar challenging the appointment of State Public Service Commission Ravi Manubhai Parmar.

A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Manoj Misra appointed advocate Vanshaja Shukla as the amicus curiae in the petition filed by advocate Brajesh Singh to declare the appointment as “illegal and void”.

Mr. Singh argued that the appointment defied the mandate of Article 316 of the Constitution which “impliedly requires only a person with impeccable integrity should be appointed as Chairman or Member of Public Service Commission”.

Mr. Singh alleged Mr. Parmar was accused in a vigilance case in connection with “large-scale scam and corruption in the scheme of Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission and the same is still pending adjudication before the Special Judge, Vigilance, Patna”.

“Thus, apparently respondent number 2 (Parmar) is facing serious charges of committing offences of corruption and forgery, and as such his integrity is doubtful and therefore in such circumstances he ought not to have been appointed Chairman of Bihar Public Service Commission… It cannot be the case the State government would not be aware about the criminal antecedents of respondent number 2,” the petition said.

It alleged the appointment was a result of the “deadly nexus of bureaucracy and the politicians in the State of Bihar”.

Justice Narasimha asked Mr. Singh, why as a lawyer, he would want to dabble in such affairs through the filing of a writ petition. Mr. Singh said he was domiciled in Bihar.

The exchange led to the appointment of Ms. Shukla as the amicus curiae. The court said the case would come up after two weeks. eom