THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police have formed a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the allegations of irregularities in the recruitment exams conducted by the PSC. Crime Branch Economic Offences Wing IG S Ajeetha Begum will lead the team that also have NRI Cell SP Zacharia Mathew and crime branch DySP Ajayanath G on board.
The investigation of the SIT will be directly monitored by the crime branch ADGP. The probe team is likely to be expanded with the addition of more members, including inspectors, sub-inspectors and civil police officers, in the coming days.
A source said the SIT has began collecting the complaints that have been received by the police as well as the government in connection with the alleged PSC recruitment scam. The statements of the complainants will be recorded subsequently. The PSC officials and staff will be questioned in the second stage of the probe.
The government had initially decided for a vigilance probe, but later opted for a crime branch investigation on the basis of the legal opinion. The legal opinion from the Director General of Prosecution had cited that the crime branch being a specialised wing has the legal ambit to investigate crimes of all sorts, while the vigilance can only probe offences which fall under the Prevention of Corruption Act.