Chennai: Candidates who cleared the recruitment process for the post of Sub-Inspector (SI) in the Tamil Nadu Police have questioned the prolonged delay in issuing appointment orders, alleging irregularities in the selection process and demanding accountability from the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB).

The TNUSRB had issued a notification on March 8, 2023, to fill 621 vacancies for SI posts. The recruitment process, which included written examinations, physical efficiency tests, and interviews, was completed, and a list of selected candidates was published.

However, complaints arose regarding the implementation of the reservation policy. Petitioners alleged that 31 per cent of vacancies under the general category should have been filled based on merit alone, without factoring in the caste of the candidates. It was claimed that some Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates with high marks were included in the reserved category list for the Adi Dravidar community instead of the general category, thereby affecting opportunities for other candidates. Similar concerns were also raised regarding the women's reservation quota.

Following legal intervention, the Madras High Court annulled the published selection list and appointed a private commission headed by former Chief Justice Paul Vasanthakumar to look into the matter and recommend a revised list.

Despite the commission submitting its report, candidates alleged that no revised list has been published yet. On Tuesday, a group of aspirants submitted a petition at the TNUSRB office in Egmore, questioning the delay.

In their representation, the petitioners said they had been preparing for the exam since 2019 and had successfully cleared all stages of the recruitment process. “Why have our two years been wasted? Were there irregularities in the recruitment process? What is causing the delay in publishing the revised selection list even after the commission's report?” they asked.

The TNUSRB has not yet issued an official response to the latest petition.