The Supreme Court (SC) has directed police officials of all the statesto check and verify documents pertaining to the character, antecedents, nationality, genuineness produced by the candidates selected for government jobs within six months from the date of their appointment. In an order passed on December 5, a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and R Mahadevan said appointments to government jobs would be regularised only after verification of the credentials of the candidates.

The top court passed the direction while setting aside the termination of an ophthalmic assistant two months prior to the date of retirement. The petitioner joined service on March 6, 1985, but the verification report was communicated by the police to the department on July 7, 2010, only two months prior to the date of retirement.

 "The given factual matrix would also compel this court to issue a direction to the police official(s) of all the states to complete the enquiry and file report as regards the character, antecedents, nationality, genuineness of the documents produced by the candidates selected for appointment to the government service, etc., within a stipulated time provided in the statute/GO, or in any event, not later than six months from the date of their appointment," the top court said.

The bench went on, "It is made clear that only upon verification of the credentials of the candidates, their appointments will have to be regularised so as to avoid further complications, as in the case on hand." Supreme Court was hearing a plea filed by Basudev Dutta challenging an order of the Calcutta High Court which seta side direction passed by the West Bengal State Administrative Tribunal.