Ranchi:
As the probe into alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) recruitment exams intensifies, an arrested accused has spilled the beans on the alleged recruitment racket.
Jharkhand students have been protesting in Ranchi for weeks, demanding the scrapping of the recent JPSC exam, alleging irregularities. The state Crime Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the case, has arrested at least 20 people so far.
Abhay Tiwari, the arrested Marketing Manager of TDPL – the agency that conducted the state exams – has laid bare the entire racket before the CID, according to sources.
Tiwari has named top officials, including TDPL director Ramvir Singh, former Jharkhand Public Service Commission chairman L Khiangte, and Commission members Dr Ajita Bhattacharya, Dr Jamal Ahmed, and Dr Anima Hasda as being part of the racket to get their candidates selected for jobs.
Tiwari told the CID that candidates were routed to the network of officials through agents and middlemen. He said an agent named Aditya Pandey connected job aspirants to TDPL director Ramvir Singh, who then sent them to a Commission member, and arrangements were made to inflate candidates’ final marks by “fixing” the interview board.
According to Tiwari, candidates were charged different amounts at different levels of the exam process. For “setting” up an interview with a “board of choice”, agents and officials charged a candidate up to Rs 15 lakh. By the time of selection, the cumulative amount charged from a candidate went up to Rs 60 to 70 lakh for the 12th and 13th JPSC exams, Tiwari has told the CID, as per sources.
Aspirants have been protesting against alleged JPSC irregularities
Three Selected Officers Named
In his statement, Abhay Tiwari named at least three officials who allegedly got selected for jobs via this racket: Police Superintendent Robin Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police Shailesh Singh, and Deputy Jailer Rajesh Kumar Rajak. Tiwari told the CID that Lalu Yadav, a Koderma resident, worked as an agent for these three candidates. According to him, Lalu Yadav brought the candidates to him, and later the interview was “fixed” with Ajita Bhattacharya’s board by TDPL’s Ramvir Singh.
Apart from TDPL and JPSC officials, Abhay Tiwari has also named Exam Controller Shweta Gupta and Patanjali Coaching operator Ravi Kumar, among others, as being part of the racket.
His statement has laid bare the entire racket behind “settings” in JPSC recruitment exams.
Big Claims On Interview Boards
According to sources, Abhay Tiwari told the CID that candidates who paid a particular JPSC member were then sent for an interview to that member’s board. He said arrangements were made to “decode” a candidate’s code before the interview. According to him, the code was decoded a day before the interview through TDPL’s Ramvir Singh, and on the day of the interview the candidate was sent to the board of the Chairman or Ajita Bhattacharya.
How The JPSC Rigging Network Worked
As per Abhay Tiwari’s statement, the network operated like this:
Abhay told the CID that most candidates appeared for the interview only after contacting a member or influential person and arranging money. Abhay Tiwari also told the CID that DSP Manish Kumar’s “setting” was done through an associate of Ajita Bhattacharya. He said in his statement that Gautam Kumar’s “setting” was done through Ravi Kumar, operator of Patanjali Coaching.
How Was The Money Routed?
Abhay Tiwari told the CID that interview money was delivered to the concerned persons through different people. According to him, payments for Ajita Bhattacharya were sent to her PA Brijram, a resident of Morhabadi.
According to Tiwari, money was sent to Khiangte via a person named Dharmendra. Abhay also told the CID that for Jamal Ahmed, candidates were “fixed” through several agents in Hazaribagh.
Protesters in Ranchi
CDPO Exam Also Under Cloud
In his statement to the CID, Abhay Tiwari has also mentioned the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) exam. He said candidates were provided by TDPL for this exam and the rate was fixed at Rs 10 lakh per candidate. Abhay said one candidate paid Rs 15 lakh to fix the interview board with then JPSC Chairman L. Khiangte.
Abhay Tiwari told the CID that candidate Kajal Bharti paid Rs 10 lakh to secure an interview before Ajita Bhattacharya’s board. The money was routed to her via PA Brijram. Abhay also said that Brijram was in contact with Ravi Kumar, operator of Patanjali Coaching.
Abhay Tiwari’s statement names several officers, JPSC members, agents, and candidates. The CID is now verifying these claims by investigating money transactions, bank records, call detail records, digital evidence, interview records, and other witnesses.
Former JPSC Chairman L. Khiangte has already been arrested. After his arrest, three members of the Commission – Dr. Ajita Bhattacharya, Dr. Anima Hansda, and Dr. Jamal Ahmed – resigned from their posts. The CID has now summoned these three former members for questioning. The CID has already questioned Dr. Ajita Bhattacharya and Dr. Jamal Ahmed regarding alleged irregularities in JPSC exams, the Commission’s functioning, and matters related to the former Chairman.
