Nepotism, question paper leak: Three more cases against PSC; commission members likely to be named accused

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Crime Branch is set to register three more cases against the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), naming its officials and the members who conducted the interviews as accused. The move follows findings that unqualified candidates and party loyalists were given jobs, and that 47 questions in one exam were copied verbatim from a single guidebook.

Crime Branch chief H. Venkatesh has given the go-ahead to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Crime Branch IG S. Ajitha Begum.

The serious irregularities relate to the examinations and appointments for three posts: Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector in the Motor Vehicles Department, Extension Officer in the Fisheries Department, and Village Oil Inspector in the Khadi Board. Investigators suspect that question papers were leaked and that financial transactions had taken place. Kerala Kaumudi had reported on October 8 that three more cases were likely to be registered soon.

The Crime Branch will also soon seek its chief’s permission to register FIRs in seven other cases in which serious irregularities have been found. A case is already registered in the Planning Board recruitment fraud.

In the Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector examination notified in 2022, 47 of the 100 questions were allegedly copied word for word from a single guidebook. The Crime Branch considers this equivalent to leaking the question paper. Investigators are now trying to establish who knew about the copying and who benefited from it. A preliminary inquiry had also found serious irregularities in the appointments.

The recruitment of Fisheries Extension Officers also came under scrutiny. Of the top 110 candidates in the rank list, 93 were students of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS). Most of the top-ranked candidates were SFI leaders at the university. Of the 42 candidates appointed, 38 were KUFOS students.

Nearly 7,000 candidates had applied for the examination, including students from Kerala, Calicut, MG and CUSAT universities. The investigation found that KUFOS teachers had prepared the question paper. The alleged leak is also being probed. The inclusion of several questions outside the prescribed syllabus has raised further suspicions.

Irregularities have also been reported in the appointment of a Village Oil Inspector under the Khadi Board. A person who did not meet the prescribed qualifications was allegedly appointed to the post. The notification required candidates to have a science degree and a certificate in Supervisory Training in Village Oil Industry approved by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

However, the wife of a PSC official was reportedly appointed despite not possessing these qualifications. She had submitted a Village Oil Technician certificate issued by the B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Rural Technology and Management in Nashik, Maharashtra. The certificate was for a 15-day course, while the notification required a two-month course.

The Village Oil Inspector is responsible for testing the quality of oil produced under the Khadi Board. Reports also indicate that her promotion has been put on hold after the qualification issue came to light.

“The investigation is continuing strongly. Three cases will be registered next week,” said Crime Branch IG S. Ajitha Begum.