Patna, Aug. 16: The high court today directed Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) not to conduct the mains of the civil services examination till petitions demanding fresh examinations for BPSC preliminary test were disposed of.

The bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi passed the direction while hearing the petitions that challenged the BPSC’s decision to announce the results for the preliminary test by abruptly deleting eight marks from 150. Justice Tripathi also asked BPSC to file a detailed counter affidavit, posting the matter for further hearing on September 6.

Replying to the court’s directive, BPSC counsel Sanjay Pandey submitted if the cut-off was reduced by another eight marks, around 17,000 more candidates would qualify for the main examinations.

Of 1.35 lakh candidates, about 15,000 candidates were declared successful by the commission that organised combined (53rd to 55th) civil services examination, Pandey said.

Meanwhile, Abhinav Srivastava also filed an intervening application in the case raising three points, including wrongful deletion of correct questions, non-deletion of incorrect questions and evaluation on the basis of incorrect answer keys, as set by the BPSC.

Stay on arrest

The high court today put a stay on the arrest warrant of former Legislative Assembly speaker and Congress legislator Sadanand Singh in a case of irregularities in the recruitment of 90 lower grade clerks in Bihar Assembly during 2000 to 2005.

A bench of Justice Mandhata Singh passed the direction while hearing Singh’s bail petition. The vigilance bureau had lodged an FIR against 42 persons, including Singh, on May 9.

The accused have been charged under sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 477(A), 201 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13(II) read with 13(I) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused can face up to life imprisonment if found guilty.