Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission: Days after the arrest of former JPSC Chairman L Khiangte and 20 others over alleged recruitment exam irregularities, the Criminal Investigation Department on Monday
began conducting raids at the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission office as the probe continues.
The raids come as protests by job aspirants over alleged irregularities in various recruitment examinations in Jharkhand have entered their 24th day.
“We are conducting raids at the JSSC office in connection with alleged irregularities in various examinations,” CID ADG Manoj Kaushik told PTI.
The raids came as the state government prepares to hold another round of talks with the protesters, six of whom are on hunger strike. The demonstrators also burnt effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, accusing the JMM-Congress alliance of “failing to take concrete action” on their demands.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, whose party is part of the ruling coalition, has written to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, urging him to personally meet representatives of the protesting students and take appropriate action to resolve the issue.
Gandhi said the students’ protest had been peaceful and their demands legitimate, while asserting that the youth of India was its future and “we owe them our solidarity and support at this moment of crisis”.
The Congress is part of the JMM-led ruling government in Jharkhand.
In his letter to Soren, dated August 14, Gandhi said the Congress believes that the right to peaceful protest, as enshrined in the Constitution of India, is one of the central pillars of India’s democracy.
Savita Kumari, one of the protesters on hunger strike, said their delegation was scheduled to meet the government at 2 pm.
“We want complete reforms in Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), along with a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities and the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam,” she said.
“I have appeared in various recruitment tests, including the 14th JPSC examination held on April 19. But it is very unfortunate that due to corruption, jobs of deserving candidates have been sold,” she added.
Indicating that a breakthrough could be possible, Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the 14th JPSC examination would be cancelled.
“We will write to the ED to investigate the alleged financial misappropriation. The CID probe will be court-monitored. The government is committed to bring reforms to safeguard the future of students,” she said.
