Ranchi: Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi has demanded an impartial inquiry into the alleged role of former DGP Anurag Gupta, a 1990-batch IPS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, in the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination.
Marandi alleged that Gupta may have influenced the investigation and raised concerns over the alleged handling of digital evidence linked to the case. He called on Chief Minister Hemant Soren to order an independent inquiry into the former police chief’s role.
Marandi said the government must ensure that the inquiry is fair and transparent.
Marandi Questions Former DGP’s Role
Marandi questioned Gupta’s earlier public dismissal of allegations of irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination when he was serving as the state police chief.
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“He had publicly rejected the allegations of irregularities in JSSC-CGL while he was at the helm. His role must now be probed,” he said.
Marandi also alleged that the former DGP’s actions could have affected the ongoing investigation. He demanded that any wrongdoing, if established through an independent inquiry, should invite strict action.
CID Probe Continues, 10 Arrested
The political allegations come as the Jharkhand CID continues its investigation into the JSSC-CGL examination controversy.
The agency recently arrested Kundan Kumar, a resident of Palamu district, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 10. A Special Investigation Team of the CID is conducting the probe.
The investigation relates to alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL 2023 examination, which was conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission in September 2024. The state government had earlier announced cancellation of several recruitment examinations amid protests by candidates, but the Jharkhand High Court stayed the cancellation of certain examinations, including JSSC-CGL-2023, following petitions by successful candidates.
BJP Announces Statewide Agitation
Marandi’s demand comes ahead of a BJP statewide agitation scheduled from Tuesday to Friday over FIRs against students who had protested alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The BJP has been demanding stronger action and an independent investigation into the examination controversy, while the state CID continues its own probe.
Congress Hits Back
Congress state general secretary Alok Kumar Dubey criticised the BJP’s approach, alleging that the party was using the students’ concerns for political purposes.
Dubey argued that the BJP should instead raise issues such as recruitment examination transparency, paper leaks and youth employment at the national level.
The allegations concerning Gupta’s role remain claims made by political leaders and would need to be established through an independent investigation or other competent proceedings.
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