Crime Branch finds 45 questions in Kerala PSC exam to have been copied from online handbook

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Crime Branch found 45 questions in the Kerala PSC Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector recruitment examination to have been copied verbatim from online study material handbooks and registered a fresh case in the widening probe into irregularities in examinations conducted by the commission, officials said on Saturday.

The case was registered on Friday based on a complaint registered by Rahul Raj, a resident of Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district, against unidentified Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) officials.

According to the FIR, the alleged irregularities include the inclusion of candidates who did not meet the prescribed physical standards and the addition of two courses as eligible qualifications, in addition to those specified in the recruitment notification, before the application deadline.

The FIR specifically alleges that 45 questions in the examination were copied verbatim from online study material platforms, including Scamveda Online Study Materials and Sanfoundry.com.

The alleged irregularities resulted in the selection of ineligible candidates from the rank list published on 2 September 2024, thereby depriving eligible candidates of employment opportunities, the FIR said.

The case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Meanwhile, the Crime Branch has listed the PSC chairman, members and officials as accused in another case related to the recruitment examination for Fisheries Extension Officer posts in the Fisheries Department, notified in August 2020, officials said.

In the case registered on October 28, the Crime Branch alleged that the rank list published on November 28, 2022, and valid until November 28, 2025, favoured candidates from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Oceanic Science (KUFOS) who were close to the PSC chairman, members and CPI(M)-sympathising officials, thereby denying eligible candidates equal opportunities and undermining public trust in the recruitment body.

The Crime Branch has also registered two more cases relating to alleged irregularities and nepotism in recruitment to the posts of Khadi Board and Village Oil Inspector, and to the State Planning Board, officials said.

The state government had constituted a Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in the PSC recruitment examination for posts in the State Planning Board.

The investigation found that 10 descriptive questions in Economics, carrying a total of 58 marks, had not been assigned to the appropriate evaluators due to errors in the On Screen Marking (OSM) system, leaving the answer sheets unevaluated.

Following a complaint by Shyam Krishna, who had initially secured the third rank, a revaluation was conducted, after which he moved to the first rank. Arun J Pradeep, who had initially secured the first rank, moved to fifth place after the revaluation, officials said.

The Crime Branch subsequently expanded its investigation to cover alleged irregularities in other recruitment examinations conducted by the PSC.

Two PSC officials were arrested in the case while the investigation team interrogated PSC chairman MR Baiju and other members.