Dilip Kumar Prasad outside the vigilance court in Ranchi on Friday. (Hardeep Singh)

Ranchi, Feb. 4: Former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairman Dilip Kumar Prasad — the prime accused in the infamous civil services recruitment scam — surrendered before the court of special vigilance judge Binoy Kant Khan this afternoon.

A bespectacled Prasad, who has been evading arrest since FIRs were lodged against him and other officials on June 12, 2010, suddenly appeared in the court around 3.30pm, took a seat and declared that he had surrendered.

Prasad has been sent to judicial custody till February 14, during which, he will remain at Birsa Munda Central Jail.

Senior special public prosecutor (vigilance) Govind Prasad Vijayvargiya said Prasad was the main accused in the case (23/10), which also named 31 others.

Vijayvargiya said Prasad, in the 56-page FIR, had been accused of committing offences under Sections 420, 406, 409, 423, 424, 467, 468, 469, 471, 477 (A), 120 (B), 109 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Prasad has been accused of manipulation of records by favouring illegally selected persons in their recruitment to coveted posts of civil and other state services in the second civil services examinations and in appointment of lecturers.

“The FIR says he manipulated things in lieu of bribe. Undeserving candidates were declared successful in different stages of competitive examinations, as JPSC officials, interview board members, examiners and experts connived to favour them,” added the special public prosecutor.

He added that Prasad could be convicted to a maximum of 10 years for his offences.

As the police escorted Prasad — a former reader of zoology in Ranchi University — on his way to jail, he tried to retort to queries of reporters. “I am innocent,” he uttered, as the cops took him away.

Inspector-general (vigilance) M.V. Rao termed Prasad’s surrender a big development in view of the ongoing probe into the scam. “He is the prime accused and was required for further interrogation. We will soon pray for Prasad’s remand,” Rao told The Telegraph.

On June 12, 2010, FIRs were filed on the directives of Governor M.O.H. Farook against 32 people, including Prasad and JPSC members Radha Govind Singh Nagesh, Shanti Devi, Gopal Prasad Singh and secretary Alice Usha Rani Singh for wrongful appointments to state civil services. The secretary was earlier held in Hazaribagh.

All five principal accused had applied for anticipatory bail, but their pleas were rejected by special vigilance court. Prasad had even moved for anticipatory bail in Jharkhand High Court a couple of months earlier. The matter is pending.

In another development, hearing on an anticipatory bail petition of Mukesh Kumar Mahto, brother of deputy chief minister Sudesh Kumar Mahto, could not be completed today.

The vigilance court has fixed February 14 as the next date of hearing. Mukesh is a former state police officer, who was illegally favoured by the JPSC panel. He was the latter dismissed.