Crime Branch issues fresh summons to Kerala PSC chairman
Chairman M R Baiju has been directed to appear for interrogation on November 10 regarding recruitment irregularities.
The Crime Branch investigating alleged irregularities in examinations and appointments conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) has issued a fresh summons to its chairman, M R Baiju. According to reports from ThePrint, The Times of India and Times Now, Baiju has been directed to appear before the investigation team on November 10.
The summons follows Baiju's failure to attend a second round of interrogation scheduled for Thursday. Investigating officials stated that he cited a pending petition filed by the Kerala PSC, which seeks to quash or dismiss the case, as the reason for his absence.
The state government constituted a Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in a PSC recruitment examination for posts in the State Planning Board. Last month, the team questioned Baiju, four PSC members, the commission's secretary and the examination controller.
The investigation found that errors in the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system meant 10 descriptive questions in Economics, totalling 58 marks, were not assigned to appropriate evaluators. This left the corresponding answer scripts unevaluated.
Following a complaint by candidate Shyam Krishna, who initially held the third rank, a re-evaluation moved him to the first rank. Arun J Pradeep, who originally secured first place, fell to fifth place after the re-evaluation, officials said.
The Crime Branch has since expanded its probe to other PSC recruitment examinations and registered three more cases. So far, the agency has arrested PSC Deputy Secretary P Satheesh and Additional Secretary R Hari.