The Hyderabad High Court issued a notice to one Gopal Krishna Ronanki, who bagged third rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination this year.
The court was hearing a petition by an advocate who alleged that Gopal Krishna had 'faked' his documents and got the rank under the Physically Handicapped quota.
Deccan Chronicle reported that 29-year-old Gopal was the son of a farmer from Andhra's Srikakulam district, and ranked all-India third in the 2016 civil services examination.
Gopal wrote the test in Telugu, and the results were announced on 31 May 2017.
The DC report adds that he was a teacher at a local school for years before he attended the Group-I interview in 2011 and cleared the Group-I and Group-II preliminary examinations.
The petitioner had also claimed that Gopal, who belonged to the OBC category, did not technically qualify for the exam.
The Mumbai Mirror reported that those from the OBC category need 110.66 marks to qualify, while physically challenged individuals required only 75.34 marks.
The report quotes the petitioner as saying that Gopal scored 91.34 marks but qualified,because he 'claimed' that he had a physical disability. The petitioner also pointed out that Gopal got an extra hour to complete the exam because of his claim.
However, Gopal has denied all allegations, and spoke to various media outlets on the issue.
Claiming that he had fallen down from a tree when he was in Class 10 in 2002, and fractured his right arm, Gopal told Hindustan Times, “I come from a poor farmer’s family. How can I manipulate my certificate?”
The HT report also quoted him as saying,
I cannot bend my hand because of the fracture and the doctors at the local government hospital certified that I am a disabled person. Even after the personality test at the UPSC, I underwent a medical examination at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi, where the doctors had certified that I suffer from a disability.
He also told the media that he was confident that 'justice' will prevail, and his name will be cleared.
(This article was originally published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
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