Kerala PSC scam: SIT to expand as probe widens, seek exam records
The Crime Branch is set to expand the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC). The move comes as the investigation widens to cover nearly 90 complaints related to various exams, according to official sources.
The decision to strengthen the SIT was taken after a review of the probe's progress. Additional officers will be brought in to handle the growing volume of complaints. Once expanded, the team is expected to be split into multiple groups, with each group assigned a cluster of examinations. This will allow simultaneous scrutiny of records and allegations.
In the next phase, the SIT will formally request the PSC to provide certified copies of key examination records. These include answer scripts, official answer keys, evaluation documents, and other related materials. Investigators believe these records are essential to determine whether answer scripts were evaluated according to prescribed procedures.
The SIT has also directed the PSC to immediately preserve and lock the login records of its on-screen marking system. This data is considered crucial digital evidence. It is expected to reveal which officials accessed the evaluation platform, when they logged in, and which answer scripts each examiner evaluated.
Preliminary findings have revealed that several questions were omitted from the evaluation process for the post of Chief (Industry and Infrastructure) in the Kerala State Planning Board. This discrepancy is said to have benefited the candidate who secured the first rank, particularly as he had left questions carrying 54 marks unanswered.
A few senior PSC officials remain under suspicion. Investigators are expected to seek the government's sanction to prosecute those found responsible for the irregularities.
The probe was initially registered after allegations surfaced regarding the State Planning Board recruitment examination. The expansion of the SIT and the demand for records signal that the investigation is moving into a more comprehensive phase, covering a wider range of examinations conducted by the PSC.
