Jharkhand Public service Commission Scam

anchi, June 4,2010: The vigilance bureau today filed its first report on the alleged illegal appointments by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).

Sources said the vigilance bureau report on alleged irregularities committed by the state public service commission in conducting examinations to fill up posts of university lecturers and deputy collectors in 2006 was submitted to the state cabinet committee on vigilance by director general of police Neyaz Ahmed.

Incidentally Ahmed, besides being the state DGP, holds additional charge of the vigilance bureau as its director general.

The DGP pointed out that investigations into the irregular appointments scam were underway and that given the wide range of operations, more investigation was required.

However, insiders said today's report was the first of the many supplementary reports that would be submitted by the vigilance bureau to the state.

They added that the report contained the broad details of the case, the modus operandi pursued by JPSC chief Dilip Prasad and members to get their friends and relatives and family members appointed to various state government posts. 




Ranchi, June 9, 2010: Governor M..H. Farook today ordered the state Vigilance Bureau to lodge an FIR against the chairman and three former members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) for "acts of grave irregularities, forgery, interpolation and fraud" in conducting the second civil services examinations of 2007-08.

The governor also ordered the withdrawal of 19 officials from the field and attaching them to the state personnel department till a final decision was taken on replies filed by them. The bureau has made out a prima facie case of fraud and forgery against them.

The personnel department has also been asked to serve showcause notices on the 19, directing them to explain why their services should not be terminated for "indulging in manipulations and interpolations".

The former BDO of Dalbhumgarh, Prashant Kumar Layek, who was abducted and subsequently freed by the Maoists, is among the 19 officers facing the heat of the governor's crackdown.

The others are Radha Prem Kishore, Vinod Ram, Harishankar Barik, Harihar Singh Munda, Ravi Kumar Kujur, Mukesh Kumar Mahto, Kundan Kumar Singh, Mausmi Nagesh, Kanu Ram Nag, Manoj Nath Shahdeo, Prakash Kumar, Kumari Geetanjali, Sangeeta Kumari, Rajneesh Kumar, Shivendra, Santosh Kumar Chaudhary, Kumar Shailendra and Hari Oraon.

They are said to be relatives and friends of various JPSC members, senior bureaucrats and politicians.

The personnel department has been asked to prepare a chargesheet listing the evidence against the 19 and serve the same to the candidates who have been identified in course of ongoing probe.

The former JPSC members, who face FIRs are Gopal Prasad Singh, Shanti Devi and Radha Govind Nagesh, besides chairman Dilip Prasad. They were at the helm of affairs during 2007-08 when the second civil service examinations were held.

According to Raj Bhavan spokesperson Shyamanand Jha, the governor has also ordered vigilance to constitute a special team and complete the probe within three months. It has been authorised to recruit retired CBI and police officers.

Farook's predecessor K. Sankaranarayanan had asked the Vigilance Bureau to probe charges of nepotism and favouritism against the JPSC chairman and members following a series of complaints.

The Vigilance Bureau has also been asked to complete the investigation into the assets and properties of the then chairman and members of the commission. The governor had sought an enquiry into other examinations, including lecturer, marketing supervisors and cooperative examinations conducted by JPSC.

JPSC chairman Dilip Prasad was suspended following a reference to the Supreme Court to initiate a probe against him.

Earlier, DGP Neyaz Ahmad, who also happens to be in charge of the Vigilance Bureau, submitted a report on June 4 and also recommended a CBI probe into the recruitment scam.

According to sources, the bureau investigated records of 37 of the 172 recruited officials and found 19 of them prima facie guilty.

Chief Secretary A.K. Singh, in his proposal, however, said the CBI probe was not necessary at this stage and that the bureau should itself complete the investigation.