THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a move that could hurt CPM, the Crime Branch special investigation team has listed the PSC chairman, members and PSC officials aligned with the Left party as accused in the case pertaining to irregularities in the exam for the of fisheries extension officer.
The FIR listed the PSC chairman, members and PSC officials as the first, second and third accused, respectively. It only listed just their designations, not their names.
The notification for the post was published in 2020 and exam was conducted when M K Sakeer was the chairman, but the rank list was published and appointments were made under M R Baiju’s chairmanship .
The SIT had recently questioned Baiju for eight hours. This was seen as indication that the SIT was going to take him to task.
The FIR does name the PSC members or mention their numbers. This is the case when it came to the PSC staff, too. However, what makes the case politically significant is the fact that the FIR clearly mentions that the alleged scam was committed to provide high ranks to candidates from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) who were the favourites of the chairman, members and “ officials who are sympathisers of the CPM”.
The FIR said the accused committed criminal breach of trust and corruption to illegally provide jobs to the undeserving after denying the opportunity for the deserving candidates.
The exam for the post of fisheries extension officer drew suspicion after 38 out of 42 appointees were from KUFOS. The Save University Campaign Committee in its complaint to the SIT had alleged that a vast majority of the appointed candidates were either active leaders of SFI or its members and the question paper was set by KUFOS faculty.
It was also alleged that the KUFOS faculty sat on the interview board. This particular case has now been transferred to the Crime Branch, Ernakulam.
Meanwhile, the SIT has arrested PSC additional secretary R Hari in the case pertaining to Planning Board exam fraud. He was arrested from Ernakulam and will be brought to Thiruvananthapuram.
No name specified
The FIR did not name the PSC members or mention their numbers. This was the case when it came to the PSC staff, too. However, it clearly mentioned that the alleged scam was committed to provide high ranks to candidates from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) who were the favourites of the chairman, members and “officials who are sympathisers of the CPM”.
