Investigation into JPSC 14th civil service exam intensifies after raids

RANCHI, July 23 – The probe into the alleged irregularities of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission’s 14th combined civil services preliminary paper has entered a critical phase. On Thursday, CID agents, supported by the Ranchi police force, carried out a thorough search of the home of former JPSC chairman and ex‑chief secretary L. Khayange.

The operation, recorded under investigation number 16/2026, follows a formal complaint lodged after candidates raised concerns over the result’s credibility, citing opacity and procedural anomalies. No official statement has yet been released regarding the material recovered during the raid.

Previously, on July 21, CID and the state police conducted simultaneous raids at the JPSC headquarters, the premises of the test‑conducting company T.S.R. Data Processing Private Limited, and other related sites. The sweeps resulted in the seizure of computers, hard disks, pen drives and assorted digital evidence.

On the night of the earlier raid, Khayange submitted his resignation from the commission. The CID’s preliminary inquiry led to a FIR on July 22 and the arrest of five individuals accused of influencing the examination process: former sub‑exam controller Shweta Kumar Gupta, TDPL director Ramveer Singh, and three company affiliates – Mo. Usman, Mo. Ebadi and Abhay Kumar Tiwari. All were remanded to judicial custody after a court appearance on Wednesday.

Authorities are now focusing on the entire chain of the examination process – from test administration, result tabulation, digital data handling, to final decision‑making – to determine whether any officials or private entities played a role in the alleged manipulation. The latest raid on the former chairman’s house underscores the seriousness of the investigation.