Jharkhand court denies bail to former JPSC chief Khiangte in exam irregularity case

A special Criminal Investigation Department court in Ranchi has rejected bail for former Jharkhand Public Service Commission chairman L. Khiangte in a case involving alleged recruitment irregularities and a paper leak.

Additional judicial commissioner Yogesh Kumar delivered the ruling after reserving judgment earlier in the week. Investigators arrested Khiangte, a retired Jharkhand chief secretary, on August 10 after hours of questioning. His arrest came a day after all three JPSC members resigned amid large protests by examination candidates.

The case concerns allegations of cash-for-jobs and manipulation of recruitment examinations. Investigators say Khiangte bypassed open tender rules and awarded a sensitive exam-management contract on a nomination basis to Lucknow-based TSR Data Processing Private Limited. The company had already been blacklisted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission in 2025. The CID alleges that Khiangte accepted substantial kickbacks to arrange the deal.

Khiangte’s lawyers argued that prosecutors lacked concrete evidence. They said raids at his official residence on Kanke Road produced no incriminating material and that his arrest was legally flawed. Prosecutors opposed bail, citing a case diary that they said documented systematic manipulation of OMR answer sheets and administrative failures.

With Khiangte’s arrest, the number of people detained by the CID in the case reached 20. His lawyer, Chandana Kumari, told the Hindustan Times that the defense would appeal to the High Court. He remains in judicial custody while students protest alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC examination, the JSSC-CGL and other recruitment tests. Protesters are demanding cancellation of the 14th JPSC preliminary test held on April 19, an independent investigation involving agencies including the CBI and Enforcement Directorate, and reforms to the recruitment bodies.

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We will move to the High Court for relief.