India, March 7 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed a plea from two persons whose appointments as Punjab Civil Service (judicial) officers were cancelled after the 2002 Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) scam came to the fore.

They were recruited pursuant to a 2001 advertisement for 21 posts of PCS (judicial) officers. However, they were issued termination orders in September 2002 after the scam was reported.

The "cash-for-job scam" involving former Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) head Ravi Sidhu was busted by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau and he was accused of accepting bribes for recruitment between 1995 and 2002. Sidhu was termed as the key conspirator and was awarded a seven-year rigorous imprisonment in a d...