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A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before Allahabad High Court seeking probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UPTET) 2021 exam cancellation case. The exam was canceled due to the paper leak a night before the scheduled exam date i.e. November 28, 2021.

Alleging that the State government had canceled the exam to save its own skin from the unwarranted act of its officials, the PIL, through a letter petition, also demands suspension of all the government officials who were involved in the paper leak.

The plea stresses that except a CBI inquiry, no machinery will be able to expose this paper leak puzzle due to which every applicant of UPTET exam 2021 as well as general citizens of Uttar Pradesh have lost hope in the Uttar Pradesh Government Examination System.

The petitioners have also alleged that this incident shows the real face of law and order in Uttar Pradesh where State machinery has failed to conduct a fair examination. The PIL highlights that paper of UPTET 2019 was also leaked.

Further pointing out that Article 16 of the Indian Constitution guarantees "Right to Equality of opportunity in matters of Public Employment by adapting a fair process of selection", the plea avers, 

"This Court must issue notice to the Uttar Pradesh government through Principal Secretary. (U.P Shashan) to explain under which circumstances the paper was leaked and what precautionary steps they had taken."

It is to be noted that as per the statement of ADG Law and Order U.P,  the matter has already been referred to a STF (Special Task Force) for fair enquiry, as a result of which 23 people have been arrested as of now from different locations acorss the State.

This PIL has been filed on behalf of Swadesh and Prayag Legal Aid Clinic. This is the same organization that had prayed before the High Court for a CBI inquiry into the Lakhimpur Violence case too. 

As per the petition, news of the cancellation of the UPTET 2021 examination due to paper leak was trolling through reliable news portals of Times of India, Hindustan Times, etc on November 28 around 12.42 PM.

It adds that as per the version of official statement released by the Secretary, Examination Regulatory authority, the paper of UPTET 2021 which was to be held at around 2554 centers across the State, was canceled due to unwarranted circumstances and now it will be conducted after a month. 

Stating that around 21 lakh applicants were to appear in the said exam, the plea stresses that they all had to suffer because of this unfortunate paper leak and the failure of the State government shows that they don't care about the sacrifices of applicants.

The plea added that the applicants' money, time and every possible effort had vanished over the failure of the paper leak, therefore, the Uttar Pradesh government must compensate the applicants who have suffered due to the paper leak.

Apart from the CBI probe, the petitioners also alternatively sought High Court monitored independent judicial inquiry into the matter. 

Cause Title: Swadesh & Prayag Legal Aid Clinic and Ors. v State of UP and Ors.