Ranchi: On a day thousands of protesting job aspirants marched to the state assembly demanding cancellation of JSSC-CGL 2024 examination and a CBI probe into recruitment exam irregularities, CID on Monday arrested former JPSC chairperson and ex-chief secretary L Khiangte, ADG Manoj Kaushik confirmed.Khiangte’s arrest took the number of people arrested by CID in the 14th JPSC case to 20. CID sources said that Khiangte was arrested after four rounds of questioning and due to circumstantial evidence against him. TDPL, a private agency entrusted to conduct the 14th JPSC exam, was roped in during the tenure of Khiangte. The agency is accused of tampering with OMR sheets and other irregularities, but Khiangte didn’t act despite many complaints against TDPL, the sources added. Investigators are also probing the alleged kickbacks received by Khiangte for “rigging” the exam and its outcome.The protesters claimed that the two key demands were not met, which led to the failure of talks on Sunday. Govt, however, said that they had agreed to most of the demands, but protesters remained adamant.On the other hand, of the three JPSC members who resigned on Sunday, Ajita Bhattacharjee underwent questioning for around six hours at the CID office.On the arrests, minister Dipika Pandey Singh told reporters at the assembly, “They show govt’s zero tolerance and sensitivity towards the sanctity of exams. This is why even before protests began, the CID probe began and it is making arrests as the probe is progressing. To protesting students, we appeal to have faith in govt.”BJP, however, dubbed the arrest as an eyewash. Leader of opposition Babulal Marandi wrote on X, “The arrest of L Khiangte is merely a sham. The Hemant (Soren) govt will grant him default bail without filing a chargesheet gradually, just like it did in the case of liquor scam probe by ACB involving suspended IAS (officer) Vinay Choubey. Large-scale rigging has occurred in JSSC exams too. Govt should arrest all three members of JPSC, and those in JSSC and institute CBI probe.”
