Jharkhand CID arrests ex-JPSC chairman L Khiangte amid exam irregularities probe

The Jharkhand Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Aug 10 arrested former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairman L. Khiangte in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, as a prolonged student agitation over the issue intensified in Ranchi.

Khiangte's arrest came amid a 17-day protest by students and job aspirants, who on Aug 10 marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly demanding greater transparency in recruitment examinations and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities.

The former JPSC chairman had already been questioned several times by the CID as part of the investigation. On Aug 3, he appeared before the agency for nearly seven hours in what was reported as his fourth round of questioning. The CID had also conducted searches at 18 locations across Ranchi, Palamu, Hazaribagh, Bokaro and Dhanbad districts.

According to the CID, the searches resulted in the recovery of documents and electronic devices, including laptops and mobile phones, as well as bank passbooks, cheque books, candidates' OMR-sheet carbon copies, admit cards and marksheets.

Khiangte had resigned as JPSC chairman on July 22, a day before the agency carried out searches at multiple locations, including his official residence. He had subsequently said that he had voluntarily stepped down to facilitate an impartial investigation.

The investigation has been running alongside a growing student movement in Ranchi. The protesters have alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and have demanded cancellation of examinations they believe were compromised, along with an independent investigation.

The state government, however, has maintained that it has acted on several of the students' demands. During the third round of talks on Aug 9, the government said it had agreed to scrap the 14th JPSC preliminary examination and the 2023-25 civil services backlog examinations.

It also proposed involving the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in examining the financial aspects of the alleged irregularities. The students continued to demand cancellation of the JSSC CGL 2024 examination and a CBI probe.

The government and protesters therefore remained divided over key issues even after multiple rounds of talks.

The situation escalated further on Aug 10 as students proceeded with their planned march towards the Assembly. Authorities had imposed prohibitory orders around the Assembly complex and deployed additional security forces in view of the demonstration.

The arrest of the former JPSC chairman marks a significant development in the investigation, coming after several rounds of questioning and searches by the CID. The probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination process is continuing.