JPSC exam scam: CID intensifies probe into recruitment fraud

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is intensifying its probe into a major recruitment scam involving the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Investigators have questioned over 100 candidates and issued notices to 20 additional individuals as the investigation expands into a technical and financial syndicate.

Key developments include the arrest of former JPSC Chairman L. Khayante, who is accused of receiving a 2 crore rupee commission to facilitate the selection of TDPL as an outsourcing agency. The investigation also centers on Abhay Tiwari, a former marketing manager at TDPL and former Block Supply Officer, who allegedly used his connections to pass multiple exams through illicit means. According to Tiwari’s statements, bribes for various positions ranged from 5 lakh rupees for preliminary exams to as much as 60 lakh rupees for final selections in civil services.

In recent raids, the CID searched coaching centers in Ranchi and Hazaribagh, seizing documents suspected of linking educational institutions to the manipulation of exam processes, including question paper leaks and OMR sheet tampering. The agency is currently examining electronic evidence and the roles of middlemen, technical experts, and officials in facilitating remote access and software-based cheating during examinations.