Plea in Supreme Court seeks CBI probe into allegations of Jharkhand JPSC exam irregularities

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking an independent, time-bound probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged malpractices in the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination.

The petition, filed by activist Harisharan Devgan, represented by advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, has also filed an urgent request to orally mention the case for an early listing.

The petition argued that it was imperative to have the allegations in the case probed by an independent agency, such as the CBI, rather than the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is currently investigating the case. The petitioner sought an impartial probe into public officials and examination agencies.

The petition argued that accountability should be fixed and wrongdoers brought to justice despite the State government’s move to cancel the examination.

The plea has urged the court to intervene and ensure that physical and digital evidence is secure and remains untampered. These include the original and candidate-held OMR carbon copies, CCTV footage, and server audit logs.

After the results were declared on July 2, 2026 a carbon copy of a candidate’s OMR answer sheet had gone viral online. The answer sheet allegedly showed irregularities in evaluation.

The issue triggered protests and hunger strikes in the State, with students demanding an independent probe and structural reforms.

So far, three JPSC members have resigned. The State government has agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services preliminary examination.