Kerala PSC Under Fire Again Over Police Recruitment

The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) has landed in another controversy, as a fresh complaint targets its recruitment of Deputy Superintendents of Police. The body is already being examined by a Special Investigation Team over alleged irregularities in a senior appointment at the State Planning Board.

The complaint contends that the PSC rushed through the special DySP recruitment, raising doubts over how the selected candidates were chosen and appointed.

Timeline of the recruitment:

The written examination took place in December of last year. The rank list was released in the first week of May, and appointment orders followed in June.

The complaint was filed by R S Sasikumar, who heads the Save University Campaign Committee. He has demanded a thorough inquiry into the selection and alleged that the candidate ranked first is an SFI leader facing multiple criminal cases. He has brought the matter to the notice of Chief Minister V D Satheesan.

The candidate has dismissed these claims. He says he also appears in other PSC rank lists and believes the complaint is aimed at preventing his appointment.

This development comes amid a larger crackdown on alleged irregularities in PSC exams and recruitments. Shortly after the Satheesan government assumed office in May, it formed a special Crime Branch SIT to investigate the State Planning Board appointment.

So far, PSC chairman Dr M R Baiju and three other members have been questioned. The remaining 12 members will be examined starting Monday. PSC secretary Saju George is also scheduled to appear before the SIT on Monday, for the second day in a row.

All 16 sitting members were appointed during the 10-year rule of the Pinarayi Vijayan government, which ended this May.

With top officials under investigation and new allegations emerging, the commission's recruitment systems are once again under question. The government has stated that the probe will reveal whether there was a deliberate attempt to manipulate recruitment and damage the reputation of Kerala's largest hiring agency.