Mumbai, Oct 26 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today dismissed more than 90 petitions, filed by policemen, challenging Maharashtra government's decision regarding computation of number of vacancies for police sub-inspectors (PSIs).

At the same time, a division bench of Justice S B Mhase and D G Karnik has ensured that the departmental exam that promotes Havaldars and Assistant PSIs to PSIs will henceforth be held regularly and a pool of seats would be available regularly for this cadre every year.

The policemen, who failed to find a place in the merit list of selected candidates in the promotional departmental examination held in 2003, had contended that the state had miscalculated the number of vacant seats for the posts of the PSIs for the exam. According to them the number should have been 1592 whereas only 300 candidates were selected through the exam.

After hearing both the sides, the court found that the PSIs were filled through three different modes and only one of which was the departmental examination, through which only 25 per cent vacant seats were to be filled, and not all vacant seats, and consequently all the petitions came to be rejected.

But, another grievance of the constabulory has been set in motion during the hearing of the petition. Conceding to the allegation that the departmental promotional exam was not held regularly, the state government has not only assured the court that henceforth the examination would be would be held regularly but also said a detailed schedule for the examination provided by the state government. Besides due opportunity would be given to policemen to ensure that every year appropriate number of seats are made available for the cadre.

UNI