India, Feb. 13 -- New Delhi Public appointments made contrary to the eligibility requirements amounts to a fraud on the public, the Supreme Court held on Wednesday as it set aside the appointment of chairman of the National Commission for Homoeopathy.

Faulting the decision of the Centre in approving Anil Khurana's appointment as chairman in July 2021 for a tenure of four years, a bench headed by justice Dipankar Datta said, "Whenever appointment to a public office is sought to be made, irrespective of the nature of the office, the rules prescribing mandatory eligibility criteria must be applied in a strict manner... it amounts to a fraud on the public to make appointments in departure of either the statutory requirements or a public adve...