Ranchi, Aug. 31: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Jharkhand Police has arrested another person in connection with alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination (JSSC-CGL) 2023, taking the number of arrests made by the agency since August 18 to nine.
The latest accused has been identified as Sameer Kumar, a resident of Bengabad in Giridih district, the CID said in a statement issued on Sunday night.
The investigation relates to alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL-2023 examination, which was conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission in September 2024.
The state probe agency has intensified its investigation in recent weeks and made several arrests in connection with the case. Four successful candidates from the 2024 examination were arrested on August 28, while two other accused were apprehended a day earlier, according to the information available.
The investigation had earlier led to the arrest of Abhay Tiwari, who was serving as a block supply officer in Poriyahat in Godda district at the time of his arrest on July 22. His wife, Sushama Kumari, and his brother, Akshay Tiwari, were subsequently arrested on August 18.
A Special Investigation Team of the Jharkhand CID is examining the allegations surrounding the recruitment examination and is continuing efforts to identify others who may have been involved.
The controversy over the examination had earlier prompted the Jharkhand government to announce the cancellation of several recruitment tests, including the JSSC-CGL-2023 examination conducted on September 21 and 22, 2024, following protests by job aspirants over alleged irregularities.
However, the decision to cancel certain examinations was challenged before the Jharkhand High Court by successful candidates, who expressed concern that the cancellation could affect their employment prospects.
The High Court subsequently stayed the government’s cancellation decision in relation to the examinations under challenge, including the JSSC-CGL-2023.
The CID investigation into the alleged examination irregularities is continuing, while the matter concerning the status of the recruitment examination remains subject to judicial proceedings.
