14th JPSC irregularities case: Former chairman L Khiyangte's bail plea rejected

A court in Ranchi has rejected the bail plea of former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairman L Khiyangte, who was arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC examination.

The bail application was rejected by Additional Judicial Commissioner Yogesh Kumar after hearing arguments from both sides. The court had reserved its order after the hearing was completed.

Appearing for Khiyangte, senior advocate Anil Kumar and advocate Chandana Kumari argued that there was no evidence against him and that the searches conducted during the investigation had also failed to yield any incriminating material against the former JPSC chairman.

The CID, however, opposed the bail plea, alleging that Khiyangte had played a role in awarding the examination-related work to TDPL. The investigating agency claimed that he was aware of alleged irregularities and lack of transparency in examinations conducted by the agency but failed to take action.

Khiyangte has also been accused by the investigating agency of allegedly receiving a commission of Rs 2 crore from TDPL. The allegations are part of the ongoing investigation and have not been established by a court.

The CID registered Case No. 16/2026 in connection with alleged irregularities in the examination. Khiyangte was subsequently arrested during the investigation and was taken into custody for questioning on remand. He has remained in judicial custody since then.

More than 20 people have so far been arrested in connection with the case, according to the investigation.

The case has also gained significance following an alleged confessional statement attributed to Abhay Tiwari, described by the CID as a key accused in the alleged JPSC recruitment scam. According to the agency, Tiwari referred to Khiyangte's alleged involvement in the irregularities and claimed that the former chairman had played an important role in the selection of TDPL as the agency for conducting the examination.

The allegations against Khiyangte remain subject to the outcome of the ongoing investigation and judicial proceedings.