PSC rigging: Six wrong, four unattempted answers dropped; leader given first rank and ₹1.66-lakh post

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Crime Branch has found that the Public Service Commission (PSC) carried out a major irregularity to secure the first rank for a Left organisation leader in the examination for the post of Chief Industry and Infrastructure Officer at the State Planning Board. Investigators have found the involvement of senior PSC officials and politicians in the alleged conspiracy and are also suspecting a bribery transaction.

The first rank was secured by a CPM organisation leader at the Kerala Water Authority. Four questions that the candidate had left unanswered and six questions he had answered incorrectly were excluded from evaluation. As a result, candidates who had correctly answered those questions were effectively denied the marks for them.

Investigators have found the involvement of three senior officials in the PSC examination wing. The officials did not forward the 10 questions for which the leader received no marks for on-screen marking. The case is that the candidate was appointed illegally without evaluating answers carrying 58 marks. Questions 9 to 18 in the first paper were not evaluated. More than 228 candidates also received no marks for their answers to these questions.

Had all the questions been evaluated, the leader would have scored 53 marks fewer than the current second-rank holder, investigators found. The candidate was not even qualified to make the shortlist but was appointed to the post carrying a salary scale of Rs 1,23,700 to Rs 1,66,800.

V.S. Jayalal, a candidate from Muhamma, applied for a copy of his answer sheet when the rank list was published. However, the copy was provided only a year after the appointment was made. The answer sheet showed that marks had been awarded for only 18 of the 28 questions.

Notice to chairman

The Crime Branch will issue notices to PSC Chairman M.R. Baiju and two commission members who conducted the interview. The leader received 36 out of 40 marks in the interview, while the second-rank holder received only 11.

The Crime Branch questioned a Deputy Secretary, a Junior Superintendent and a System Analyst. They may be named as accused. Computer logs have also been seized. The investigation is also examining whether there was a bribery transaction.

90 complaints

The PSC has received 90 complaints so far regarding examination irregularities. The investigation team will be expanded to include more Deputy Superintendents of Police and inspectors. IG Ajitha Beegum is leading the investigation.

Meanwhile, the internal vigilance inquiry announced by the PSC has stalled.