Jharkhand CID makes fresh arrest in JSSC recruitment examination case

The Jharkhand Police’s Criminal Investigation Department has arrested another person in connection with alleged irregularities in a state recruitment examination, an official said on Monday.

The latest arrest takes the number of people apprehended by the agency since 18 to 10 August in the case involving the Jharkhand Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination-2023. The Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission conducted the examination on 21 and 22 September 2024.

The CID identified the arrested person as Kundan Kumar, a resident of Dumri village in Palamu district.

The agency had earlier arrested a suspect from Giridih district on 30 August. Four candidates who had cleared the examination were taken into custody on 28 August, while two other accused were arrested a day earlier.

Investigators have also arrested the alleged key accused, Abhay Tiwari, along with his wife, Sushama Kumari, and brother, Akshay Tiwari. Tiwari, who was serving as a block supply officer in Poriyahat in Godda district, was arrested on 22 July. His wife and brother were taken into custody on 18 August.

The Jharkhand government had announced the cancellation of several recruitment examinations, including the JSSC graduate-level test, after job aspirants held protests over the alleged irregularities.

The Jharkhand High Court subsequently stayed the cancellation of certain examinations, including the JSSC-CGL-2023, after successful candidates approached it expressing concern that they could lose their jobs.

A Special Investigation Team constituted by the Jharkhand CID is investigating the alleged examination irregularities.

With PTI inputs