Jamshedpur: Leader of opposition in Jharkhand assembly and BJP functionary Babulal Marandi on Sunday said the state govt’s affidavit filed in the Jharkhand high court a day earlier has exposed the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) recruitment exam as “tainted”.“When the state govt itself accepts that the examination process was compromised, it raises doubts about the authenticity of the affidavits they filed before the high court earlier. Why were the complete facts withheld? Was there a deliberate attempt to mislead the court?” Marandi questioned.Demanding the immediate removal of JSSC chairman Prashant Kumar and secretary Sudhir Gupta besides CID (ADG) Manoj Kaushik, he stressed, “If the entire examination process was fundamentally compromised, the roles and accountability of Prashant Kumar, Sudhir Gupta, Anurag Gupta (ex-DGP), and Manoj Kaushik must be thoroughly investigated.”Stating that ultimate accountability rested with chief minister (CM) Hemant Soren, the BJP leader asserted, “Was such a massive, systemic scam possible without the knowledge and consent of the CM? And, if the govt was genuinely unaware, it highlights a total collapse of governance and monitoring. And if they were aware, why was no timely action taken?”Questioning police action, he asked how a scam of this scale could involve only lower-level arrested staff. “If junior staffers were running the entire recruitment system, what purpose did the JSSC chairman and secretary serve by occupying those high positions?” Marandi argued.“Those at the top enjoy absolute authority and privileges, but only those at the bottom are made scapegoats when it comes to accountability. What kind of justice is this?”Reiterating that only a CBI probe could deliver justice to aggrieved students, the leader of opposition in Jharkhand assembly alleged that the CID failed to uncover glaring discrepancies initially. “The questions surrounding the functioning of the CID are so serious that one is forced to ask if it is acting as an impartial investigative agency or has simply become a shield to protect a corrupt system,” he claimed.JMM’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district president Shubendu Mahato said, “Agencies are on the right track as far as investigation into the alleged recruitment scam is concerned. Opposition parties are doing politics on the matter.”
