The special Criminal Investigation Department (CID) court in Ranchi has denied bail to L Khiangte, the former chairman of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC). This decision was made during proceedings related to the ongoing investigation into irregularities in the state civil service examination. The court session took place on Saturday, marking a significant development in the case.
Khiangte’s arrest came a day after all three JPSC members resigned amid massive protests by aspirants over alleged irregularities in recruitment tests conducted by the agency. Unshaken by the lower court’s setback, the defence is preparing to scale up its legal strategy. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, his advocate Chandana Kumari expressed her disappointment with the ruling. Meanwhile, the rejection leaves the high-profile bureaucrat in judicial custody as public outrage and student protests continue to demand an independent probe into the state’s examination system.
With Khiangte’s arrest, the number of people arrested by CID in this case has risen to 20.
“We will move to the High Court for relief,” she stated, reaffirming that they will contest the allegations on superior legal grounds.
The legal battle stems from a massive cash-for-jobs and recruitment paper leak case. During the court hearings, Khiangte’s legal team argued that the prosecution lacked concrete evidence. They maintained that multiple raids conducted at his official Kanke Road residence yielded no incriminating materials, declaring his arrest legally flawed. However, the prosecution strongly opposed the bail, presenting a detailed case diary that highlighted systematic OMR sheet manipulation and administrative compromises. Students have been protesting over the alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC examination, JSSC-CGL and other recruitment tests, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and reforms in the recruitment agencies.
On August 10, t he state’s probe agency arrested Khiangte , a retired chief secretary of Jharkhand, following hours of intensive questioning.
