New Delhi: A woman belonging to the OBC category fought nine years of legal battle, from Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to High Court, for seeking an appointment letter for the data entry operator's job. The woman had cleared the data entry operator's exam conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). But, when the result was out, she didn't find her name on the merit list under the OBC category.
Prior to the declaration of the result, the Staff Selection Commission had asked the woman candidate to submit the OBC certificate of the particular period, which she failed to produce before the panel. Hence, during the preparation of the merit chart, her name was put in the general category which led to the non-appearance of her name in the selection list.
Anil Singhal, the advocate of the woman candidate, said, "My client Sunil Puja hailing from Mahendragarh, Delhi, had filed the application for the date entry post conducted by the SSC in 2012. She had applied for the post under the OBC category. The SSC had asked my client to submit an OBC certificate for the period between August 2009 and August 2012. But, Puja was possessing the OBC certificate of June 2009."
But when the result came out in 2013, her name didn't find mentioned in the merit list. She was considered a General Category candidate, said Singhal.
Then the petitioner Puja filed an application before the Central Administrative Tribunal in 2013. Her plea was rejected by the CAT on the grounds that when she was asked to submit the OBC certificate of the said period, she failed to furnish the same. Hence the candidate did not get the benefit under the OBC category. In 2019, the CAT rejected the petition filed by the woman candidate.
Thereafter, woman candidate Puja while challenging the CAT ruling, filed a review petition before the High Court through her advocate Anil Singhal. Pleading before the High Court, the counsel of Puja said, "My client comes under the OBC category by birth. Hence, it was not necessary to produce the certificate of OBC of a particular period." After listening to pleas in the matter, the High Court passed a judgment in favor of Puja and asked the Staff Selection Commission to provide a data entry job to her. The court also asked the SSC to fix her pay slab on a par with what the current data operator was receiving.
While talking to ETV Bharat reporter, Puja, "It was a long drawn battle. But, I am happy that I was selected for the post. I faced many ups and downs during the said period. I was married in 2016 and now staying in Jharkhand."
