Cop recruitment test: use of mobile phone suspected

Casting a shadow over the credibility of public service recruitment in Kerala, three SFI local leaders were suspected to have attained higher ranks in a police recruitment test through malpractice.

The three were suspected to have used mobile phones to get answers via SMS during the examination. The Kerala Public Services Commission (KPSC) has sought a detailed probe by the police into the matter.

The fresh developments have come as a major embarrassment to the ruling left-front government in Kerala, especially to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

When media reports of suspected malpractice by SFI activists came out, Vijayan had alleged that there were attempts to sabotage the credibility of the public service recruitment process.

It was after a student of the University College in Thiruvananthapuram was stabbed by SFI activists that the row over the credibility of the public service recruitment surfaced.

The key accused in the stabbing case, SFI local leader R Sivaranjith, was the first rank holder in the police constable recruitment test conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission.

The second accused in the case, A N Naseem, got 28th rank.

The second rank holder P P Pranav was also said to be an SFI activist of the University College.

They were also found to be allowed to change their examination centre by the KPSC.

Strengthening the suspicions, the accused were also found to have scored poor marks in the university examinations.

The PSC vigilance wing that conducted a preliminary probe into the allegations found with the help of police cyber cell that the said candidates received scores of SMS messages on their phones at the time of the examination.

Hence it was suspected that they got correct answers through SMS.

Based on a report of the vigilance wing that the candidates were suspected to have used modern technology for malpractice in the examination, the PSC has sought a detailed police probe to bring before law all those who were involved in the serious malpractice.

The three candidates would be also removed from the rank list, said the commission's official spokesperson.

The Opposition party in Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front, demanded a CBI probe into the incident.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala accused that the chief minister lost his credibility with the findings of the KPSC vigilance wing that there was malpractice in the police recruitment test. Hence a probe by the state police would not bring out the truth and hence a CBI probe was required, he demanded.