Ranchi, July 24: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday conducted searches at the Ranchi residence of former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Chairman L. Khiyangte as part of its ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination.
The search, carried out at Khiyangte’s residence on Kanke Road, comes amid an expanding probe into allegations of malpractice, lack of transparency and procedural lapses in the recruitment examination. During the operation, CID officials examined documents and records linked to the examination process.
Officials, however, did not disclose whether any documents or materials were seized during the search.
“The search was conducted as part of the investigation into alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination,” CID officials said, adding that details of the search and any possible seizure could not be disclosed at this stage.
The investigation was initiated after several student groups and organisations raised concerns over the conduct of the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination. Following the controversy surrounding the declaration of results, the Jharkhand government transferred the probe to the CID.
Earlier, on July 21, a joint team of the CID and Ranchi Police searched the JPSC headquarters and the office of the examination-conducting agency. During the operation, investigators seized examination-related documents, computer records, hard disks, pen drives and other digital evidence.
Khiyangte resigned as JPSC Chairman on the same day.
Based on preliminary findings, the CID registered an FIR on July 22 and subsequently arrested five persons in connection with the case.
Those arrested include former JPSC Deputy Examination Controller Shweta Kumari Gupta, Ramveer Singh, Director of TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), and company associates Mohd Usman, Mohd Ebad and Abhay Kumar Tiwari. All five have been remanded to judicial custody.
According to sources associated with the investigation, the probe is focusing on multiple aspects of the examination process.
Investigators are examining “the conduct of the examination, the preparation of results, management of digital data and the role of officials and the examination agency in the decision-making process,” sources said.
TDPL served as the outsourcing agency responsible for data processing and examination-related operations for the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination.
The controversy erupted after candidates alleged “irregularities, lack of transparency and procedural lapses” in the preliminary examination, prompting the CID investigation.
In the wake of the probe, the JPSC has postponed the 14th Combined Civil Services Main Examination-2025 and deferred all examinations scheduled between July and September 2026 until further orders.
