SC Seeks Centre, Jharkhand Govt Response On Plea For CBI Probe Into Civil Services Exam

A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana sought responses from the Centre, the Jharkhand government, the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), the CBI and others.

Senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, appearing for petitioner and activist Harisharan Devgan, said the plea sought either a CBI investigation or an inquiry by a former Supreme Court judge.

The petition raised concerns over the integrity, fairness, transparency and credibility of the preliminary examination conducted by the JPSC on April 19, 2026, pursuant to Advertisement No. 01/2026.

It sought the transfer of the investigation from the state CID to the CBI to ensure an impartial probe into the role of public officials and examination agencies.

The petitioner argued that the controversy could not be treated merely as a dispute involving individual candidates or isolated instances of malpractice. The entire examination process — from the preparation and printing of question papers to the custody and evaluation of OMR sheets and publication of results — required examination, the plea said.

It also sought directions to secure physical and digital evidence, including original OMR sheets, candidates’ carbon copies, CCTV footage and server audit logs, to prevent tampering.

The petitioner clarified that he was not seeking cancellation of the examination merely on the basis of allegations or media reports. An independent investigation was necessary to determine objectively the nature, extent and impact of the alleged irregularities, he said.

The plea also raised the question of whether the examination had maintained the minimum standards of fairness, transparency and institutional integrity necessary for its results to form a lawful basis for public appointments.