CAP Sikkim holds dharna over favouritism allegations on SI recruitment exams

ISABELLA GURUNG

GANGTOK,: Citizen Action Party (CAP) Sikkim on Friday held a peace rally from Indira Bypass to the Gangtok District Administration Centre (DAC) area, Sichey over the recent allegations of nepotism and favouritism in the recruitment examination for 39 posts of Sub Inspector (SI) under Sikkim Police. The rally concluded with a sit-in dharna outside the Gangtok DAC premises, where CAP Sikkim reiterated its demand for accountability from the Sikkim Public Service Commission (SPSC).

Speaking to the media, CAP Sikkim spokesperson Albert Gurung said that examinations conducted by SPSC in recent years have repeatedly drawn controversy. He said that several earlier recruitment processes, including those for the posts of Accounts Officer, Under Secretary and Deputy Superintendent of Police, had also faced allegations of irregularities.

Gurung recalled that a previous DSP examination had faced confirmed reports of a question paper leak, after which the exam had to be postponed. He said that although the examination was scheduled in 2022, its results were declared only in 2024, immediately after the elections.

The CAP Sikkim spokesperson added that after the results of the combined AO, US and DSP examinations were declared, SPSC soon issued the notification for recruitment of 39 SI posts. He alleged that the results declared on 27 November 2025 were again marked by controversy. He claimed that many of the selected candidates had direct links to the ruling party, including individuals who, according to him, were active party workers, social media handlers of the ruling party, caretakers at the Chief Minister’s private residence and personal assistants to MLAs.

Gurung said these allegations had created deep dissatisfaction among the SI aspirants, many of whom approached CAP to raise their concerns. He stated that in Sikkim, anyone who speaks against the government is “persecuted”, and that aspirants feared reprisal if they raised their voice publicly. According to him, several candidates who appeared for the SI exam have also applied for upcoming examinations, such as the Accounts Officer and Forest department Block Officer posts, and are therefore hesitant to speak out.

He said their silence should not be interpreted as acceptance of the recruitment results but as fear of persecution.

Gurung alleged that democracy in Sikkim is “being murdered in broad daylight”, and that CAP Sikkim was representing thousands of aspirants who felt wronged by the recruitment process. He stressed that the protest was not for political mileage but to seek justice for every candidate who appeared for the exam.

The CAP Sikkim spokesperson also questioned the composition of the SPSC. He claimed that the SPSC secretary has been re-employed for a third consecutive term and that the current SPSC chairman, who previously served as a member of the commission before being elevated to the top post, had overseen several examinations that were unsatisfactory to aspirants. He said that CAP’s first demand is the resignation of the SPSC chairman and secretary on moral grounds, since the chairman holds a constitutional post that cannot be removed by the State government except through prescribed legal procedures.

Gurung said that the resignation of the chairman alone would not address the concerns of the youth, and that CAP Sikkim plans to approach the court to seek a stay on the entire SI recruitment process. He reaffirmed that CAP Sikkim will continue to represent the interests of the aspirants and pursue all legal avenues available to ensure fairness in the recruitment.