The trial in the alleged Jharkhand Public Service Commission recruitment irregularity case has reached its final stage after nearly 13 years, following the completion of testimony by 24 witnesses presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The court has recorded statements from 20 accused persons, including former JPSC chairman Dilip Kumar Prasad, under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Arguments in the matter are scheduled to commence shortly, bringing the long-running proceedings closer to a final judgment.
CBI Probe Details Discrepancies in Merit List Evaluation
The case dates back to an examination held on April 15, 2007, under Advertisement No. 14/2006, issued by the JPSC on the request of the state Welfare Department to appoint teachers across 235 posts in residential schools. The merit list was compiled using aggregate scores from two papers of 100 marks each in General Hindi and General Studies. Upon investigating the Optical Mark Recognition answer sheets of 301 successful candidates submitted by the commission, investigators identified significant irregularities in the evaluation.
The agency alleged that at least 15 candidates answered fewer questions but were awarded higher marks in the final merit rankings. These candidates were subsequently declared successful and appointed as teachers in residential schools, while eligible examinees were denied selection. The scanning of OMR sheets and the compilation of the merit list came under scrutiny during the probe, with investigator findings pointing to the involvement of Dheeraj Kumar alongside senior administrative figures.
Former Chairman and Officials Face Trial Over Irregularities
The accused face charges involving cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and corruption in connection with the selection process. Alongside former chairman Dilip Prasad, those facing trial include former commission members Dr. Gopal Prasad Singh, Dr. Shanti Devi, and Dr. Radha Govind Singh Nagesh, as well as then secretary-cum-controller of examinations Alice Usha Rani Singh.
Other individuals facing trial in the matter include Santoshji Anandji, Rajiv Ranjan, Jitendra Kumar Singhdeo, Sikandar Manjhi, Durgawati Kumari, Sajjad Ansari, Poonam Tigga, Sushma Paul Purti, Nelan Horo Barla, Surlen Kachhap, Elizabeth Khalkho, Jiswanti Demta, Jameel Akhtar Ansari, Pramila Dadel, Pratima Ekka, and Dheeraj Kumar. With the completion of Section 313 statements, the trial court will hear arguments from both sides before delivering its verdict on the recruitment scam.
High Court Declines Plea on JPSC Combined Main Examination
In a separate legal development concerning the commission, the Jharkhand High Court heard an appeal challenging the dismissal of a petition seeking cancellation of the results of the 11th to 13th Combined Main Examination. The appellants urged the court to take up the matter alongside the proceedings related to the state government’s decision to cancel the examination.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Manoj Prasad clarified that a single-judge bench had already concluded hearings in the related case and reserved its order, declining the request to club the matters together
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