Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court has directed to include in the court record the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the merit scam related to the JPSC (Jharkhand Public Service Commission) first and second batch civil service appointments.
After 12 years of investigation, the CBI had filed separate charge sheets for both cases in the designated CBI court.
The first charge sheet implicates 37 individuals, including the former JPSC chairman, Dr Dilip Prasad, while the second list names 70 accused. However, some of the accused are common in both the charge sheets.
The investigation was initiated in 2012 following an order from the High Court based on a PIL filed by Budhdev Oraon. The PIL alleged large-scale irregularities in the JPSC first and second batch examinations. The matter was heard again in the High Court on Wednesday.
The CBI informed the court about the filing of the charge sheet but requested additional time to submit a detailed status report.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for February 5, instructing the agency to ensure the charge sheet is entered into court records.
The PIL said that 62 candidates were selected in the first batch and 172 in the second batch through irregular procedures. Following this, the High Court ordered a CBI investigation and placed a ban on appointments.
Later, appeals were filed in the Supreme Court, where affected candidates were granted relief. However, the top court upheld the High Court’s directive for a CBI investigation.
The charge sheet for the first batch, filed in May 2024, accuses 37 individuals, including Dr Dilip Prasad (then JPSC Chairman), Gopal Prasad (Senior Member), Radha Govind Nagesh (Member), Shanti Devi (Member) and Alice Usha Rani Singh (Controller of Examinations)
Other accused include senior officials and candidates such as Seema Singh (Additional Collector), Sushma Neelam Soren, Kunwar Singh Pahan, Jyoti Kumari Jha, Alka Kumari, Mohanlal Marandi, Ram Narayan Singh, Sudarshan Murmu, James Surin, Jitendra Munda, and Poonam Kachhap, among others.
Similarly, in the second batch merit scam, 70 individuals, including Dr Dilip Prasad, have been named as accused.
The High Court’s directive to include the charge sheet in court records underlines the gravity of the allegations and the importance of accountability in public service recruitment processes.
(IANS)
