Ranchi, Aug 12: Jharkhand CID-arrested government employee Abhay Kumar Tiwari has allegedly named several officials of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), former chairman L. Khiangte, intermediaries, examination-agency personnel and candidates in connection with the alleged recruitment examination scam, sources said.
Tiwari, currently posted as a Block Supply Officer in Poreyahat in Godda district, had earlier worked as a marketing manager with TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL), the agency involved in conducting JPSC examinations.
According to a CID source, Tiwari has named former JPSC deputy controller Shweta Gupta, former chairman Khiangte, former member Ajita Bhattacharya, members Jamal Ahmad and Anima Hansda, TDPL director Ramveer Singh, employees Mohammad Usman and Mohammad Ebad, DSPs Robin Kumar and Shailesh Sinha, and Deputy Jailor Rajesh Kumar Rajak, among others.
Tiwari allegedly identified Lalu Yadav of Koderma as an intermediary who introduced him to three candidates — Robin Kumar, Shailesh Sinha and Rajesh Rajak.
“Tiwari then allegedly connected them with TDPL director Ramveer Singh, who facilitated their links with former JPSC chairman L Khiangte and former JPSC member Ajita Bhattacharya through people connected to the commission,” a CID official was quoted as saying.
Tiwari allegedly told investigators that intermediary Aditya Pandey of Namkum contacted Khiangte, Bhattacharya, her personal assistant Brajram, Jamal Ahmad, Anima Hansda and Ramveer Singh and allegedly facilitated an increase in the interview marks of seven candidates.
“Abhay Tiwari said that Aditya Pandey of Namkum contacted Khiangte, Ajita Bhattacharya, her PA Brajram, Jamal Ahmed, Anima Hansda and TDPL director Ramveer Singh, and allegedly got the marks of seven candidates increased in the interview. Lakhs of rupees were allegedly collected in exchange for this,” the CID source said.
Tiwari also allegedly told investigators that candidates who had established contact with a particular JPSC member were placed before interview panels involving the same member.
The former TDPL employee allegedly admitted to financial transactions during the 11th-13th JPSC examination cycle and described an alleged rate structure for different stages and examinations.
According to his statement, candidates were allegedly charged Rs 5 lakh for the preliminary examination in the general category and Rs 2-3 lakh for SC/ST candidates, with the alleged amount rising to Rs 60-70 lakh by the final selection stage.
For other examinations, the alleged rates were Rs 20-25 lakh for the Forest Range Officer (FRO) examination, Rs 30-35 lakh for the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) examination and Rs 10 lakh for the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) examination.
In one CDPO-related case, Tiwari allegedly told the CID that Rs 15 lakh was paid to Khiangte following discussions with TDPL director Ramveer Singh for a candidate whose interview was to be conducted by the former JPSC chairman.
Among the candidates named in the alleged network, DSP Robin Kumar secured rank 7 in the JPSC 2023 Civil Services Examination, while Shailesh Ranjan Sinha secured rank 55. Rajesh Kumar Rajak secured rank 271 and was selected for the Jharkhand Jail Service.
The allegations have also brought renewed attention to an earlier complaint submitted to Khiangte in January. The complaint had alleged manipulation of 500 OMR sheets — 350 from the FRO preliminary examination and 150 from the ACF preliminary examination — and sought an independent inquiry as well as CCTV footage from examination centres.
The complaint had also alleged payments of Rs 5 lakh for clearing the preliminary examination, Rs 25 lakh for the written examination and Rs 10 lakh for the interview. These allegations have not been independently established.
The CID is now examining whether the allegations contained in the earlier complaint correspond with the network described by Tiwari in his statement.
The agency has also arrested TDPL employees Mohammad Usman, Mohammad Ebad, Hemant Verma, Pradeep Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar, besides Tiwari’s alleged associate Arvind Kumar.
Tiwari’s own role is also under investigation. The CID is examining how he allegedly remained connected with TDPL after leaving the company and whether his government position overlapped with his association with the examination agency.
Investigators are also scrutinising Tiwari’s own recruitment history. He had cleared multiple JPSC-JSSC examinations, including TGT, BSO, RFO, ACF and Food Safety Officer examinations. The recruitments of his brother and wife, both government employees, are also reportedly being examined for possible links to the alleged network.
The allegations against the individuals named by Tiwari have not been established in court. The CID is verifying his statement against documentary, digital and financial evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.
