SIT probe ordered into alleged irregularities in State Dy.SP. recruitment by PSC
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Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has directed Inspector General of Police, S. Ajeetha Begum, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), to expand its ongoing investigation to allegations of similar procedural violations in a special recruitment process for Deputy Superintendent of Police (Trainee) for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe.
The direction is based on a complaint by R.S. Sasikumar, chairperson of the Save University Campaign Committee, who alleged that the PSC had violated recruitment norms to facilitate the appointment of a former Students Federation of India (SFI) leader.
According to the complaint, the top-ranker Jithin K.J. had passed his B.Com examination only with the benefit of grace marks and had failed to secure a place even in the main rank list of the police constable recruitment examination.
The complainant also alleges that the PSC expedited the recruitment process towards the end of the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s tenure. Such efforts were purportedly aimed at completing the appointment before the government demitted office, the complaint states.
A total of 17,392 candidates had applied for the post. The last date for submitting applications was September 10, 2025. The written examination was conducted on December 31, 2025, followed by the physical efficiency test on March 16, 2026. Interviews were held on April 22, and the final rank list was published on May 6, 2026.
The complaint also alleges that Jithin is involved in several criminal cases and claims that appointing him directly as a Dy.SP. through special recruitment would amount to a serious violation of recruitment rules.
Meanwhile, the Vigilance Court here granted the Crime Branch one-day custody of former PSC deputy secretary P. Satheesh, the first accused in the alleged examination irregularities pertaining to appointments to the State Planning Board. The SIT has submitted an application seeking the custody of the second accused R. Hari.
The Crime Branch has focused on collecting additional evidence and questioning the accused to strengthen its findings in the case.
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