RANCHI: The Jharkhand Public Service Commission examination probe has reached a critical stage following the Crime Investigation Department’s submission of a chargesheet against 12 individuals, including former JPSC chairman L. Khiangte. Filed before the court of the Additional Judicial Commissioner-I during the court holidays, the chargesheet details widespread manipulation in the commission’s 14th Civil Services Examination. Investigators submitted the document strictly within the statutory deadline to prevent five of the accused from securing default bail. All 12 persons named in the chargesheet remain in judicial custody, with the court scheduling the next hearing for October 26 as authorities prepare a supplementary chargesheet.
Timeline of arrests and private agency links
More than two dozen individuals have been taken into custody since the CID began investigating case number 16/2026, registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, alongside sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The investigation focuses on high-ranking JPSC officials, candidates, and staff associated with TSR Data Processing Private Limited, the private firm tasked with processing examination materials.
The initial wave of arrests took place on July 22, 2026, when authorities detained former deputy controller of examinations Shweta Kumari Gupta, TDPL director Ramveer Singh, suspected mastermind Abhay Kumar Tiwari, Mohammad Usman, and Mohammad Ebad. Subsequent arrests included Hemant Kumar Verma, Pradeep Kumar Singh, and Sanjay Kumar on July 24, followed by Sonu Kumar and Arvind Kumar on July 25. Suman Saurabh was apprehended on July 30, while former commission chairman L. Khiangte was arrested on August 10, 2026. The judicial process will evaluate the formal evidence to determine the culpability of each accused person.
Scrutiny of answer keys and OMR tampering
Investigators have focused substantial attention on procedural breaches involving answer sheets and confidential test records. The inquiry revealed that Optical Mark Recognition sheets for the Forest Range Officer and Assistant Conservator of Forests examinations were subjected to tampering. Officials are also examining evidence that original answer sheets were removed from the commission’s premises and that digital records were altered to adjust examination scores.
A key piece of digital evidence cited in the chargesheet involves an unauthorized electronic transfer on May 26, 2026. On that date, Shweta Kumari Gupta allegedly transmitted an official examination answer key via WhatsApp to Mohammad Usman, an employee of TDPL. The CID has treated this transmission as a direct compromise of institutional confidentiality, presenting the communication alongside seized records to establish how sensitive evaluation data was leaked outside authorized administrative channels.
Financial trails and intermediary operations
The chargesheet identifies Abhay Kumar Tiwari as the central operative who connected public officials, private technical vendors, and prospective candidates. Financial investigations into accounts linked to Tiwari revealed multiple suspicious transactions, including the payment of hotel bills incurred by TDPL directors during their official engagements.
CID detectives continue to audit banking documentation, communication trails, and physical records to assess the total monetary exchange and map the full scale of the operation. Investigators believe Tiwari served as the primary conduit through which confidential materials were traded and candidate selections were influenced. With the trial set to open on October 26, the ongoing probe is expected to yield further details regarding institutional malpractices inside the commission.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
