An investigation into alleged irregularities in competitive recruitment conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission has uncovered an organized syndicate that demanded bribes from candidates, submitted court filings reveal. According to the investigative agency, candidates were allegedly asked to pay 5 lakh rupees to clear preliminary examinations and between 10 lakh and 25 lakh rupees to secure final appointments. As security for the pending payments, operators collected original educational certificates, stamp papers, and blank signed cheques directly from aspirants.
Blacklisted Agency and Tampered OMR Sheets
The inquiry centers on TSR Data Processing Private Limited, which was awarded the contract to manage commission examinations in June 2025 despite an existing blacklist order from the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission. Investigators report suspected manipulation in more than 350 OMR answer sheets from the Forest Range Officer test and over 150 sheets from the Assistant Conservator of Forest examination.
Former examination controller Asim Kispota was stripped of his duties after formally objecting to hiring the blacklisted firm, with his responsibilities transferred to deputy controller Shweta Kumari Gupta. Authorities have since questioned several candidates whose successful results raised red flags during initial document audits.
Agency Operator and Insider Access
Agency marketing manager Abhay Tiwari has been identified in court documents as an alleged key operator within the syndicate. Investigators found that Tiwari appeared for and successfully cleared multiple state examinations while employed by the testing agency.
Detectives are currently examining whether agency personnel exploited their administrative positions to access confidential materials, including original question papers and blank answer sheets. The probe is focused on establishing how deeply the commercial testing firm penetrated the commission’s internal safeguards.
Arrest of Former Chairman Amid Evidence Tampering Claims
The case escalated following the arrest of former commission chairman L. Khiangte on August 10, whose bail petition was subsequently denied. Following a raid on commission offices on July 22, 2026, Khiangte resigned and allegedly left with an official laptop and a pen drive. Subsequent forensic examinations revealed that digital files were scrubbed and physical attempts were made to damage hard drives, alongside records showing suspicious calls and transactions with intermediaries.
Ongoing street demonstrations by student groups demanding structural reforms have intensified scrutiny on the recruitment board. While investigators continue reviewing financial trails and seized assets, authorities noted that the full scope of the syndicate and its alleged rate card remain subject to ongoing court proceedings.
