Former JPSC chairman Dilip Prasad

Ranchi, June 12: The vigilance bureau has registered complaints against former Jharkhand Public Service Commission chairman Dilip Prasad and 31 others for irregularities in conducting the second civil services examinations of 200708 in a move indicative of a new resolve in pursuing corruption cases in the state under President’s rule.

Among the others booked today under various sections of IPC were three former members of JPSC, controller of examinations, nine members of the interview board and 18 officials of various wings of the state administrative services for their alleged acts of omission and commission during the examination and the subsequent appointments.

IG vigilance M.V. Rao maintained that the complaints had been registered after a green signal by the Raj Bhavan.

Former Governor Syed Sibtey Razi had recommended dismissal of the JPSC chairman and other members. He also had ordered a probe into the alleged irregularities in the JPSC after which Prasad was summoned by the apex court registrar general.

The other members were sacked and new members were appointed in their place.

Now, Governor M.O.H. Farook has ordered that criminal cases be instituted against them after getting an approval from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

During the conduct of the examinations in 200708, norms were flouted blatantly while friends and relatives of the JPSC chairman were unduly favoured. Several organisations had campaigned against the JPSC’s functioning especially in the appointment of lecturers.

“As of now, only the second civil services exams is under the scanner. Our preliminary investigations have revealed sufficient evidence against the accused,” commented a senior official.

Apart from Prasad, others who had been named accused included former JPSC members Gopal Prasad Singh, Shanti Devi and Radha Govind Nagesh, controller of examinations Usha Rani Alice, interview board members S.S. Khanta, Bateshwar Pandit, Parmanand Singh, Albert Toppo, S Ahamed, Nandlal and Sohan Roy. The alleged beneficiaries include, Prashant Kumar Layak, Vinod Ram, Mukesh Kumar Singh, Rajneesh Kumar, Moushumi Nagesh, Sangeeta Kumari, Hari Shankar Barik, Harendra Singh Munda, Ravi Kumar Kujur, Kanu Ram Nag, Prakash Kumar, Santosh Kumar Choudhary, Kumari Gitanjali, Lal Manoj Nath Sahdeo, Radha Prem Kishore and Hari Oraon.

All have been booked under sections 420, 423, 424, 467, 468, 468, 471, 477 (A), 120 (B), 109, 201and 409 of the IPC and sections 13 (2), 13 (1) C/D of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988.