Exam irregularities: PSC members will not appear at Crime Branch office for questioning

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala PSC Chairman and members will not appear at the Crime Branch headquarters for questioning in connection with the irregularities in the Planning Board examination. PSC Secretary Saju George has written to IG Ajeetha Begum, who is leading the investigation, saying the members are willing to give their statements if the investigating officers come to the PSC headquarters.

The PSC maintains that its members hold constitutional positions and that, as per protocol, they cannot be asked to appear at the police headquarters. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) also has no objection to recording their statements at the PSC headquarters. A decision will be taken after examining the legal aspects.

The PSC Chairman, M.R. Baiju, will be questioned only after the questioning of the commission members is completed. The Chairman had personally conducted the interview for the Planning Board post. The SIT has found serious lapses on the part of two officials in connection with the examination and had submitted a report to the Director General of Police seeking action against them.

The Crime Branch issued notices yesterday to three more PSC members, asking them to appear for questioning. The notices were issued to Dr S. Sreekumar, Dr C.K. Shajib and Dr Stany Thomas. Another member, Abdul Samad, could not be served a notice as he was in another district in connection with a PSC interview. PSC member S.A. Saif had earlier been served a notice directing him to appear at the Crime Branch headquarters for questioning.