The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Jharkhand has taken former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Chairman L Khiangte into custody. The arrest marks a major escalation in the ongoing investigation into serious administrative and procedural irregularities surrounding the state’s 14th Civil Services Examination.
Khiangte, a senior bureaucrat who previously served as the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand, had been facing intense scrutiny from law enforcement authorities regarding key decisions made during his tenure at the helm of the state’s primary recruitment body. At the heart of the probe is the decision to empanel Trinity Digital Networks Private Limited (TDPL)—a vendor that had reportedly been blacklisted—to handle critical operations for the 14th Civil Services Examination.
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Investigating officers have been probing why a vendor with a compromised track record was entrusted with executing high-stakes competitive examinations that directly impact thousands of civil service aspirants across the state.
Prior to his formal arrest, Khiangte was subjected to multiple rounds of rigorous interrogation by CID officials. According to sources close to the investigation, these questioning sessions lasted several hours, during which officials grilled the former commission chief on procurement protocols, decision-making pipelines, and the internal approvals that facilitated TDPL’s involvement in the examination cycle.
Recognizing the mounting pressure and the expanding scope of the inquiry, Khiangte tendered his resignation from the position of JPSC Chairman on July 22, 2026. In his official statement at the time, he asserted that stepping down was a voluntary measure aimed at ensuring a completely transparent, unbiased, and unhindered investigation into the allegations.
However, the resignation did not shield the former official from further legal action. The CID continued to gather documentary evidence and witness statements regarding the vendor empanelment process. Upon determining that sufficient grounds existed for custodial interrogation, investigators executed the arrest to delve deeper into potential collusion, procedural violations, and governance lapses within the commission.
The controversy has once again brought the integrity of public service examinations in Jharkhand under public and political scrutiny. Aspirants and civil society organizations have consistently voiced concerns over transparency, demanding accountability at the highest administrative levels.
As the CID proceeds with its investigation, officials are expected to present Khiangte before a judicial magistrate to seek remand for further questioning. The agency is also examining whether other officials within the commission or external intermediaries played a role in approving the empanelment of the blacklisted firm, indicating that further actions or arrests could follow in the coming days.
