Crime Branch likely to expand special investigation team as Kerala PSC exam scam probe widens

Nearly 90 complaints related to various examinations conducted by the Kerala Public Service Examination have been received. (Photo for representation) The Crime Branch is expected to expand the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to investigate the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC).The investigators are also preparing to seek certified copies of examination records from the PSC as part of widening the probe. Nearly 90 complaints relating to various examinations have been received.The expansion of the SIT comes as investigators intensify efforts to verify allegations that could extend beyond the controversial Kerala State Planning Board recruitment examination, the case in which the Crime Branch has already registered a First Information Report (FIR).Increase in complaints.According to official sources, the Crime Branch reviewed the progress of the probe and decided that additional officers are required to handle the increasing volume of complaints. Once expanded, the investigation team is expected to be divided into multiple groups, with each team assigned a cluster of examinations to enable simultaneous scrutiny of records and allegations.As part of the next phase of the investigation, the SIT will formally request the PSC to provide certified copies of key examination records. The records sought include answer scripts, official answer keys, evaluation documents and other examination-related materials. The records are believed to be essential to establish whether the answer scripts were evaluated in accordance with prescribed procedures.Digital evidence The SIT has also directed the PSC to immediately preserve and lock the login records of its on-screen marking system, which are considered as key digital evidence in the case. The login data is expected to reveal the identity of officials who accessed the evaluation platform, the timing of each login and which answer scripts were evaluated by individual examiners.According to the SIT’s preliminary findings, several questions had been omitted from the evaluation process of the examination to the post of Chief (Industry and Infrastructure) in the State Planning Board. The discrepancy had benefited the candidate who eventually secured the first rank, particularly since he had left questions carrying 54 marks unanswered.A few senior PSC officials remain under suspicion in the case, with investigators expected to seek the government’s sanction to prosecute those responsible for the irregularity. Published - July 31, 2026 05:31 pm IST