The recruitment of subordinate-court judges has come under the high court scanner after five petitions challenged the selection process.

Five candidates who made it to the shortlist after a written exam last year but were not called for the medical test recently moved the petitions.

They produced three circulars issued by Mahadev Ghosh, the registrar (judicial service) of the high court, within four months providing three different figures for the number of vacant judges’ posts.

“In an April 3 circular, a high court officer claimed that there were 351 posts and 258 judges. After 12 days, the same officer in another circular said there were 283 judges working across the state. How were 25 judges recruited in 12 days?” asked a petitioner.

In February last year, the state government published advertisements in newspapers — on the basis of a January circular by Ghosh — inviting applications for 113 vacant posts of judges in the 202 lower courts across Bengal.

In July 2007, the applicants sat for the written exam. On March 19 this year, a shortlist of 152 was published.

“Only 96 of them were called for the medical test. Seventy were appointed on June 15,” added the petitioner.

“When we asked the authorities why only 70 candidates were appointed, they handed over the April 3 circular. They later produced the April 15 circular, claiming 68 vacant posts,” said another petitioner.

Hearing of three of the petitions has been completed. The hearing of the other two petitions is pending before Justice S.P. Talukdar.