HC grants SIT 2 months to submit Group-1 investigation report

Vijayawada: The high court on Thursday granted two more months to the special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged irregularities in the evaluation of Group-1 answer sheets. After speaking to the SIT chief and team members, the court said no further extensions will be given and directed that the report must be submitted within two months.The HC bench, comprising Justices Battu Devanand and A Hari Haranatha Sharma, constituted a SIT headed by a DG-rank officer to probe the allegations over the evaluation of answer sheets after hearing a batch of petitions filed challenging the single judge order, which confirmed irregularities and set aside the results, directing the APPSC to conduct the examination afresh. After an elaborate hearing on both sides, the high court found various shortcomings in the official records submitted, and prima facie noticed some irregularities in the evaluation process. It ordered a forensic examination of the answer sheets to find out what exactly happened.Arguing on behalf of the SIT, public prosecutor Menda Lakshminarayana submitted a status report and sought time for extension. Expressing displeasure over submission of the status report across the bench without putting it in a sealed cover, the high court summoned the SIT chief, Ravishankar Ayyannar, and its members to be present before them by afternoon. Pursuant to the court's directions, Ravishankar and other members of the SIT appeared before the bench. After interacting with them personally, the bench passed orders granting two months for submission of the final report and posted the matter for further hearing to June 29.