Thiruvananthapuram: The Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) has alleged that the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) deliberately skipped the evaluation of 10 questions worth 58 marks in the Planning Board Chief examination, in what it described as an attempt to manipulate the recruitment process.

In a report submitted to the Kerala High Court, the SIT said PSC officials had resorted to irregularities to influence the appointment. The report was filed in response to a petition by the PSC seeking to quash the investigation, arguing that the evaluation lapse was merely a technical error. The High Court will hear detailed arguments in the case on Tuesday.

The SIT, led by IG S. Ajeetha Begum, also informed the court that it had received 180 complaints related to alleged irregularities in PSC exams. Following preliminary scrutiny, the team identified nine examinations that require detailed investigation.

In its report, the SIT said the investigation into the Planning Board Chief examination had established that 10 questions carrying a total of 58 marks were not evaluated in the answer scripts used to prepare the rank list.

The first-ranked candidate had left five of these questions unanswered and provided incomplete answers to four others, the SIT found.

The Crime Branch also raised suspicions over the PSC's decision to approach the court to stop the investigation even before anyone had been named in the FIR. The agency alleged that the PSC chairman and members had approached the court out of apprehension that the probe could eventually implicate them.

One-year delay in providing answer sheet
The SIT also pointed to a delay of nearly one year in providing the answer sheet to the complainant, saying it raised questions about the possible involvement of PSC officials in the alleged irregularities.

V S Jayalal, who secured the fifth rank in the Planning Board Chief examination, applied to the PSC for a copy of his answer sheet on June 11, 2025. However, permission to obtain the copy was granted only on June 18, 2026, according to the report.

The SIT alleged that the delay was intended to ensure that the first-ranked candidate, Arun J Prathap, completed one year in the appointment, thereby securing legal protection for his appointment.