Court flays govt, police for tardy PSC probe

The Kerala High Court has criticized the government and police for the slow progress in investigating alleged irregularities surrounding a Public Service Commission (PSC) recruitment examination for the State Planning Board. Justice A. Badharudeen raised concerns during a hearing about why key suspects in the case have not been questioned by investigators.

The court directed that V. S. Jayalal, a candidate who had challenged the evaluation process, be included as a party in the proceedings. The court questioned the effectiveness of an investigation that has not examined those central to the allegations. The government maintains that the investigation is ongoing but accuses the PSC of not cooperating with investigators.

The PSC argues that the problem arose from a clerical or computer error, while the Crime Branch believes it warrants a criminal investigation. The controversy centers on answers to 10 questions worth 58 marks that were omitted from the original assessment of a paper taken by candidates in July 2023. The investigation is examining whether the omissions resulted from a mistake or deliberate actions intended to influence recruitment outcomes.