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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court last week ordered the Delhi Government and the Union Public Service Commission to expedite the recruitment of court prosecutors.

The division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Datta asked the authorities to file a status report complying with the direction issued and listed the matter on May 9 for further hearing. 

The bench directed the government and UPSC to ensure that the process is done as early as possible. The court was hearing a batch of petitions including a suo matter, in this case, concerning issues related to recruitment, appointment, and working of public prosecutors in Delhi Courts. 

Advocate Ashish Dixit (Petitioner) submitted that the result of the recruitment of assistant public prosecutors was declared on March 13 but the appointment orders had not been issued yet.

Advocate Kushal Kumar, appearing for petitioner Delhi Prosecutors’ Welfare Association, said that the situation is such that one public prosecutor is handling almost three to four courts, bringing the entire criminal justice system to a standstill.

However, the Delhi government’s counsel said that the recruitment process is an ongoing process and steps are being taken to fill the vacancies.

The UPSC on the other hand had earlier told the high court that it had not received any fresh proposal from the Delhi Government for filling up the posts and a statement made by the State was incorrect.

The statement was made in response to Delhi Government’s submission before court on January 17 that a fresh requisition had been sent to the commission for filling up the vacant posts.

Earlier, the bench had stated that the Delhi government is the only authority that can fill these vacancies.

Case Title: Delhi Prosecutors Welfare Association (Regd) vs. Rajiv Mehrishi & Anr.