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Calcutta High Court has stayed the recruitment process of the West Bengal Police Recruitment Board after a group of Muslim women filed a petition alleging their application forms for the recruitment of constables were rejected because of wearing Hijab (headscarf) in the photograph.

The West Bengal Police Recruitment Board (WBPRB) had conducted a preliminary examination to recruit constables in the State police force in September.

Allegedly, about 1000 Muslim girls had been left out of the admission process whose admit card featured photos of them in hijab. According to the WBPRB 2020 guidelines applicants are not allowed to use anything on their face/head covering, sunglass/tinted glasses covering the eyes.

The petitioners have contended that the rule is new and never in place during their application process. They further claim that their application was rejected based only on the fact that their head was covered in hijab in the photos attached in the application. The Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Arindam Mukherjee noted that:

“The petitioners question the rejection of their candidature for having applied with their respective photographs with head gear (hijab) as part of their religious practice when the face in the photograph is clear for necessary identification.”

“It is made clear that the result of the recruitment process so far as the petitioner is concerned, shall abide by the result of this writ petition,” the Court further stated.

The Court observed that the matter does not need affidavit as there are no disputed facts involved. The matter is set to be heard on January 6, 2022.

Cause Title: Hapija Khatun & Ors. v. State of West Bengal