Ranchi: The Jharkhand Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday searched the Ranchi residence of former Jharkhand Chief Secretary and immediate past Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Chairman L. Khiangte as part of its ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in the 14th Combined Civil Services Examination.
A CID team, accompanied by police personnel, carried out the search at Khiangte’s Kanke Road residence and examined JPSC-related documents and records. Officials have not yet disclosed whether any incriminating material was recovered during the operation.
The raid is linked to an FIR registered after allegations of irregularities surfaced following the declaration of the 14th Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination results. The CID has registered Case No. 16/2026 and is investigating multiple aspects of the recruitment process.
The investigation gained momentum on July 21 when a joint team of the CID and Ranchi Police conducted simultaneous raids at the JPSC headquarters and the office of the private agency that conducted the examination. During those searches, investigators seized examination records, computer systems, hard disks, pen drives and other digital evidence.
Later that night, Khiangte resigned as JPSC Chairman. Based on the initial findings of the probe, the CID registered an FIR on July 22 and arrested five people, including JPSC Deputy Examination Controller Shweta Kumari Gupta, TDPL Director Ramveer Singh, and company associates Mohd Usman, Mohd Ebad and Abhay Kumar Tiwari.
All five accused were produced before a court on Wednesday and sent to judicial custody.
According to sources, investigators are scrutinising the conduct of the examination, the preparation of results, digital data management and the role of JPSC officials and the examination agency in the recruitment process. Thursday’s search at Khiangte’s residence is being seen as part of this wider investigation.
The controversy began after candidates alleged irregularities, lack of transparency and procedural lapses in the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination. Following the complaints, the Jharkhand government handed the investigation over to the CID.
In the wake of the probe, the JPSC has postponed the 14th Combined Civil Services Main Examination-2025 until further orders and also deferred all examinations scheduled under its Examination Calendar-2026.
With inputs from IANS