Archive · 13 Aug 2026
High Court Stays Punjab Pharmacist Hiring Amid Cheating Row
Many people wanted jobs as pharmacy officers in Punjab.
They had to write a test to get those jobs.
The police say some people cheated during the test.
They say the cheaters used tiny cameras hidden in pens and other small gadgets.
The cameras were used to take photos of the question paper and get answers from outside.
A court decided to put the hiring on hold for now.
The jobs will stay on hold until the next court meeting on September 17.
Leaders from different political parties are arguing about what happened.
Some leaders say the question paper was leaked, but the government says it was cheating with gadgets, not a paper leak.
Everyone is waiting for the court to decide what happens next.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the appointment of 454 pharmacists until the next hearing on September 17.
The posts were advertised by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, under the Punjab Department of Health and Family Welfare.
A petition by Keshav Kamboj and others sought cancellation of the July 19 written examination, alleging an interstate cheating racket vitiated it.
Punjab Police claim candidates used hidden pen cameras and other gadgets to photograph and transmit the question paper.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains blamed a Haryana-based syndicate using modified phones and wireless earpieces, triggering a political row.
- Who
- Punjab and Haryana High Court under Justice Sandeep Moudgil; Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's AAP government; opposition leaders Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parminder Singh Brar.
- What
- The High Court stayed the appointment process for 454 pharmacist posts over an alleged cheating racket in the recruitment examination.
- When
- The exam was held on July 19; Education Minister Bains spoke to the Assembly on August 3; the next hearing is on September 17.
- Where
- Punjab, India; the posts were advertised by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot.
- Why
- Punjab Police alleged an interstate racket in which candidates used hidden pen cameras, modified mobile phones and earpieces to obtain answers during the exam.
AAP Government's Defense
Opposition's Criticism
Paper Leak vs. High-Tech Cheating
AAP Government's Defense
The AAP government and Saurabh Bharadwaj argue that cheating with electronic devices during an exam is different from a conventional paper leak; Education Minister Bains says police busted a technology-driven cheating operation, not a paper leak.
Opposition's Criticism
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal alleges the government downplayed the incident as a 'minor cheating case' and is evading accountability, questioning whether it will 'roll some heads'.
Demand for Accountability
AAP Government's Defense
The government defends its handling and points to police action against the racket, with Bains alleging a Haryana-based syndicate operated for years while the Haryana government 'looked away'.
Opposition's Criticism
BJP's Parminder Singh Brar says the High Court's intervention shows the seriousness of the issue and demands the resignation of Health Minister Balbir Singh.
- Affected posts
- 454 pharmacist (Pharmacy Officer/Group C) posts
- Exam date
- July 19
- Advertisement date
- June 11
- Recruiting university
- Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot
- Court
- Punjab and Haryana High Court (Justice Sandeep Moudgil)
- Petition
- Keshav Kamboj and others
- Alleged methods
- Hidden pen cameras, modified mobile phones, wireless earpieces
- Next hearing
- September 17
- Current status
- Appointment process stayed
