The High Court of Karnataka on Friday imposed a cost of ₹5 lakh on the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) for “blocking” a MD-Radio Diagnosis seat in the name of a meritorious in-service candidate, who had already withdrawn from counselling, and moving it to mop-up round and allotting it to an ineligible candidate.
“The KEA is an instrumentality of the State government. Any illegal act by anyone much less an instrumentality of the State cannot be tolerated... Candidates desirous of obtaining seats for the undergraduation and postgraduation courses repose immense trust with the KEA. Therefore, the KEA is bound to practice a fair and transparent method...,” the court observed.
A division bench comprising Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar and Justice T.G. Shivashankare Gowda passed the order while allowing a petition filed by Rajani C.K., an in-service doctor of the Department of Health and Family Welfare working at Primary Health Centre, Anegola, K.R. Pet taluk in Mandya district.
