Ranchi, Feb. 6: A candidate appearing for last year's civil judge examination has alleged before Jharkhand High Court that a false caste certificate was used by an examinee, muddying the waters of a recruitment process already stalled due to legal interventions.

Amar Toppo told the court today that Shilpa Murmu, a fellow candidate, had produced a false caste certificate, prompting a division bench to ask him for documents to prove his allegations. The bench also made it clear that strict action would be taken against those who sought to subvert the system.

The division bench of Chief Justice Virender Singh and Justice D. N. Patel was hearing an appeal filed by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), that conducted the examinations for civil judge (junior division) in July last year, regarding Murmu's case.

Toppo, the accuser, filed an application to intervene in the JPSC's appeal and said that Murmu, who had appeared in the examinations in the scheduled tribe category, had produced fake documents.

Toppo's counsel Sweety Topno said that Murmu claimed her residence to be in Sahebganj, and provided her mother's address, while her father was a resident of Bihar.

'Murmu has hidden her father's residence in the application form which is against the rules,' alleged Topno, adding that she had produced a caste certificate issued by the block development officer in Sahebganj whereas she should have got the certificate issued by the sub-divisional officer.

But, the court asked Topno how they were able to access Murmu's documents which were with JPSC and Toppo to file an affidavit explaining the documents to prove their allegation about Murmu's candidature.

The next hearing is on February 12.

The court also observed that no discrepancy could be allowed in the appointment of judges through JPSC. It promised to take strict action against anyone who had produced fake certificates to appear in the examinations.

Murmu had filed a writ petition before the high court last year after JPSC rejected her candidature in the scheduled tribe category. A single-judge bench then directed JPSC to accept her as a scheduled tribe category.

Although JPSC gave her a provisional admit card to appear in the examinations, it rejected her candidature later on grounds of violation of rules as per the advertisement issued for the examinations.

According to JPSC's counsel Sanjay Pirawar, the JPSC advertisement made it clear that it would honour caste certificates issued by the SDO. But, since Murmu's certificate was issued by the BDO, JPSC rejected her candidature.

JSC then appealed before the division bench, challenging the order of the single-judge and told the court that Murmu's candidature could not be allowed as she had flouted the examination rules.