The Opposition staged a walkout in the Assembly after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ruled out a CBI probe into the PSC examination scandal.

“Another agency was not required when the Crime Branch can effectively do the job,” the chief minister said in reply to the adjournment motion moved in the Assembly on Thursday.

The motion seeking leave for an adjournment motion was moved by Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader Anoop Jacob. Anoop argued that the very fact that the accused had secured bail demonstrated police inaction and negligence. “It was only because the police could not file a chargesheet even after three months that led to the court granting bail to the accused,” he said.

He alleged that the police had purposefully delayed submitting the chargesheet to help the accused. “The police had seized just two mobiles and a smart watch. They have still not got hold of two more mobiles and another two smart watches,” Anoop said.

Crime Branch closure

Both Anoop and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the Crime Branch probe was as good as over. “The Crime Branch report that has come out today says that the investigation had not revealed any mass copying or leakage of question paper,” Anoop said. “If there was no leak, did the accused pull the question papers out of thin air,” he asked. Chennithala said the Crime Branch report was nothing but an attempt to whitewash the issue.

The Crime Branch report was handed over to the PSC on Thursday by Crime Branch additional DGP Tomin J Thachankary.

Here is what the Crime Branch report on the progress and present stage of investigation says: “The investigation conducted so far revealed that the accused had entered into criminal conspiracy and committed criminal breach of trust by attending the examination with mobile phones paired with smart watches and thereby cheated the Kerala PSC by committing offence under the IT Act. The first three accused received answers for the questions of the examination via SMS to their smart watches sent by the accused 4, 5 and 6.”

Anoop also expressed the concern that the cops were attempting to limit the case to just the six accused. “There is a larger conspiracy involved here and to get to the root of this a neutral agency should take over the probe,” he said.

Anoop hinted that the actions of the PSC chairman, especially the way he handled the preliminary findings of the PSC's vigilance wing, were suspicious. “The preliminary probe had found severe malpractices and called for a detailed probe. But instead of handing over the preliminary report to the police, he called a press conference and spilled all the details, right from the number of SMS-es to the time each of them reached the mobiles of the accused,” Anoop said. “The PSC chairman was in effect giving the accused a chance to destroy all scientific evidence,” he added.

Facebook 'perversion'

Anoop also alleged that the accused had political protection. “After he was granted bail, Naseem (one of the accused) had put up a Facebook post saying he would continue to copy,” he said. “Can a person out on bail make such a public comment without having political backing,” Anoop asked.

Fresh out of jail, this is how Nassem captioned his new profile picture that shows him in a triumphant pose. “I first succeeded the moment I realised that I did not have the mind to fail.” Quick came a comment. “With copying of such grand scale, how can you ever fail.” Apparently provoked, Naseem shot back: “If I had copied it is my talent. Get lost man.”

The chief minister said it was just a pervert showing his true colours. “His utterances will get no political backing. A criminal will be treated just like a criminal,” he said.

Chennithala said even he was ashamed hearing the chief minister's repeated promises that he would take strong action, and would bring the culprits before the law. “Two persons were brutally thrashed for commenting on Naseem's post. But the CPM has intervened to block any action against those who had indulged in violence,” Chennithala said. “Is this how you take strong action,” he asked.