Ranchi: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing alleged irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Civil Services Preliminary Examination, has now summoned all three serving members of the panel for questioning.
The agency on Friday issued notices to Dr Ajita Bhattacharya, Dr Anima Hansda, and Dr Jamal Ahmad, and will begin questioning them from Monday.
The three members were appointed to the commission on September 2, 2021, following approval by the state cabinet in August 2021.
The CID is expected to seek information from them regarding decisions taken during the examination process and the sequence of events linked to the conduct of the recruitment test.
The investigating agency has already questioned former JPSC Chairman and ex-Chief Secretary L. Khiangte for more than 30 hours in four rounds of interrogation. Khiangte resigned as JPSC Chairman on July 22, shortly after the CID carried out a raid at the Commission’s office.
The agency subsequently conducted searches at his official residence as part of the probe.
So far, the CID has arrested 19 people in connection with the alleged examination scam. Among those arrested is Abhay Tiwari, Marketing Manager of the outsourcing firm TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd, which was entrusted with conducting the examination.
Investigators regard Tiwari as a key accused and are examining his alleged network and links with other individuals connected to the case. Several other officials of the company and persons associated with the examination process have also been taken into custody.
The CID is investigating not only the alleged irregularities in the examination but also attempting to determine at what stage the recruitment process was compromised and who was involved in the misconduct.
With the summoning of the three serving JPSC members, the scope of the investigation has widened further as the agency seeks to uncover the full extent of the alleged malpractice.
(IANS)
