Ranchi: In a fresh sweep against alleged malpractices in state recruitment tests, Jharkhand’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken five more people into custody over irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), bringing the total number of detentions in the case to 19.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is now leading the fact-finding exercise, scrutinising digital trails, application logs and allied records to piece together the suspected recruitment racket.
The latest arrests came a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren met Governor Santosh Gangwar at Lok Bhavan on August 5 to brief him on the suspected discrepancies in both JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations,as well as the continuing agitation by job aspirants in Ranchi, as reported by The News Mill.
The governor stressed that complete transparency in the examination ecosystem is non-negotiable if the state is to retain the trust of its youth, describing the alleged irregularities as “a very serious matter.”
According to an official release, CM Soren assured the Governor that the State Government is committed to justice for students, stating: “No injustice will be allowed to happen against students and all necessary action will be ensured in this regard.”
The Chief Minister also signalled readiness to engage in talks with the protesting students and said their grievances would be taken seriously.
He stated, “Many individuals have already been arrested and sent to jail, and investigative agencies are conducting raids at multiple locations. Overall, the agencies are working diligently and effectively on this matter, and I believe we will move forward towards a concrete resolution… I have not spoken with the Home Minister yet, but if the need arises, I will discuss the matter with him.”
The chief minister added, “The government’s doors are open to everyone. Anyone who has demands can come forward and present their concerns. We are already aware of the issues to some extent, and if they present their views, the government will certainly consider them seriously.”
Meanwhile, the ruling JMM has thrown its support behind the protesting students and signalled that the government would soon take steps to address their concerns. JMM leader Vinod Kumar Pandey said, “JMM stands with aspirants in their protest…we know their demands. The government will form a high-level committee in one or two days. Exemplary actions are going to be taken in 2-3 days based on evidence.”
The unrest gathered momentum after the results of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination were declared on July 5, with candidates alleging widespread irregularities in the recruitment process. Since then, students and job seekers have sustained non‑stop protests and an indefinite sit‑in at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, calling for transparency and accountability in examinations.
The protesters have demanded cancellation of the Preliminary Test (PT) for the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination and a review of all examinations conducted through agencies linked to TDPL.