The Calcutta High Court has stepped in after Muslim women moved the court for being denied admit cards for the Bengal police recruitment exams. According to reports, over 1,000 Muslim women were not issued admit cards because they had affixed images of themselves wearing a Hijab. 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 Calcutta HC has had made the result of the recruitment process subject to its order. The matter has now been listed for hearing on the 6th of January 2022.
“The petitioners question the rejection of their candidature for having applied with their respective photographs with headgear (hijab) as part of their religious practice when the face in the photograph is clear for necessary identification,” Justice Arindam Mukherjee noted.
The court then made the results for these candidates subject to its order, saying that an important point comes up for deliberation in this writ petition.
Background of the case and why the application forms of the Muslim women were rejected in the West Bengal police recruitment exam
The West Bengal Police Recruitment Board (WBPRB) had conducted a preliminary examination to recruit constables in the State police force on September 26th. The Board had issued admit cards on the 6th of September. According to the petitioners, close to 1000 Muslim women had not received their admit cards for the exams because they had suffixed hijab-clad pictures of themselves in the application forms.
The application forms were rejected on the basis of rules for the exams that states that the face of the candidates must not be covered in any manner in their applications forms.
The petitioners, knowing this rule fully well, submitted pictures with hijab on. When rejected, they petitioned the court that the rejection and the rule itself infringes upon their right to practice their religion.
