Follow us on Google News
The Criminal Investigation Department, probing alleged irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission examination, has submitted a second supplementary chargesheet before a special court in Ranchi. The document names ten accused, including key facilitator Budheshwar Bhagat and Ramesh Kumar, following their arrest in August. Investigators stated that substantial evidence has been gathered pointing to extortion from candidates, an organized syndicate of middlemen, and multiple suspicious transactions traced through banking channels. A subsequent chargesheet detailing the roles of twelve remaining suspects is expected to be placed before the court in December. The agency has so far taken 34 people into custody in connection with the paper manipulation case, having previously chargesheeted twelve individuals, including former commission chairman L. Khyangte.
Cash, Cheques and Evidence of Paper Setting
Financial trails gathered during the investigation uncovered an arrangement wherein candidates were promised guaranteed selection in exchange for amounts reaching up to 20 lakh rupees. Payments were collected not only through direct cash transfers, but also through RTGS, Unified Payments Interface, and illegal hawala channels. Investigators obtained bank statements, passbooks, Know Your Customer files, and call detail records of the accused to map the financial links and their mutual communication patterns. The probe established that the syndicate retained original academic certificates along with signed blank cheques from aspirants to secure compliance. A search conducted on the laptop of Lohardaga resident Budheshwar Bhagat led to the recovery of a setting list containing 24 candidates, of whom eleven had cleared the preliminary examination. Interrogations revealed that these eleven aspirants were charged ten lakh rupees each, totaling an estimated 1.10 crore rupees. Raids at the premises of marketing executive Abhay Tiwari yielded 5.50 lakh rupees in cash, alongside computers and phones, while authorities continue to trace funds suspected of being routed into shell companies.
Nexus Between Brokers and Private Testing Firm
The findings outlined an intricate working relationship linking private testing agency TDPL with external middlemen. Ramesh Kumar worked in tandem with Umesh Kumar and Budheshwar Bhagat to gather educational certificates, cheques, and payments from aspirants. Umesh Kumar functioned as a direct coordinator between candidates and the testing agency. His telephone number was found printed on the official identity card of TDPL marketing manager Abhay Tiwari, and continuous contact between them was verified via call data. Three candidates, namely Umakant Oraon, Manoj Kumar, and Roshan Kerketta, allegedly utilized fraudulent practices to clear the preliminary round. Both Oraon and Kerketta featured prominently on the list retrieved from Bhagat’s computer. Aside from clearing the test, Oraon assisted the ring by bringing other candidates into the fold.
Commission Officials and Exam Insiders Under Scrutiny
The supplementary chargesheet details significant insider complicity within both the examination agency and the commission secretariat. Dharmendra Kumar, then serving as computer operator to the former commission chairman, allegedly facilitated the awarding of the examination administration contract to TDPL in return for a negotiated one percent commission. He received 50,000 rupees from Abhay Tiwari’s personal account to purchase a motorcycle registered under his wife’s name, and authorities discovered admit cards belonging to eight candidates at his workplace. Rakshak Singh, an accountant deployed by TDPL for the preliminary examination, cleared the test himself, raising questions regarding insider access to confidential evaluation systems. Arun Kumar, director of Binsys Technology Private Limited, faces charges of conducting illegal financial transactions to secure related contracts. During questioning, he admitted to transferring two crore rupees to the former commission chairman through arrangements involving Dharmendra Kumar. The agency also chargesheeted Braj Kumar Ram, personal assistant to former commission member Dr. Ajita Bhattacharya, after his involvement surfaced during interrogation.
