AP junior civil judges exam to be held as per schedule; HC passes interim order to keep answer scripts sealed

In the backdrop of demands for the bifurcation of the High Court, the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad on Friday ordered the Junior Civil Judges exam to be held on the scheduled date, Sunday, March 8..A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice K Sengupta and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar refused to accede to the requests made by several petitioners from across the two states to postpone the exam. Two weeks ago, seven Bar Associations from Andhra Pradesh had convened to request the State government to expedite the bifurcation of the High Court..Lawyers from Telengana have been protesting against the conduct of the Junior Civil Judges exam before the bifurcation happens. Their main concern is the possibility that more judges from AP than Telengana would be selected as judges. They demanded that the vacant posts be filled according to the rules framed for Telengana, and not according to the AP rules. However, the court decided to let the exam go on, ordering that the answer scripts be kept in sealed envelopes till further orders. Earlier, the Supreme Court refused to interfere in a PIL seeking the stay of the exam..The Bench said that the important questions that have cropped up should be addressed after a detailed hearing. Respondents were asked to file counter-affidavits and cases would be listed after two weeks. It also used a caveat that anyone attempting to disrupt the examination would face civil and criminal consequences..Sources in the High Court say that the trial courts are likely to remain on strike even after the date of the examination and that the bifurcation will take more time than expected.