Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 — The heat is mounting on Kerala PSC Chairman M.R. Baiju as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) steps up its probe into the examination scam, and the BJP moves to seek the dismissal of the entire commission board.
The SIT wants to question Baiju again, this time alongside the arrested Additional Secretary R. Hari, to confront the two over the alleged manipulation of the State Planning Board examination.
However, the Chairman has been giving reasons to avoid the questioning, according to sources.
The Crime Branch suspects that Baiju's unilateral decisions paved the way for the irregularities.
Hari, who was taken into custody for questioning, has denied any role in skipping the evaluation of 10 questions.
He told investigators that the responsibility rested with the now-retired Deputy Secretary Satheesh (already arrested) and that he was unaware that the questions had been left unchecked.
The SIT has not accepted his explanation.
The examination was held for the post of Chief in the State Planning Board.
A total of 228 candidates appeared for the first paper.
However, questions numbered 10 to 18, carrying 58 marks, were not evaluated for any candidate.
In the case of 51 candidates, only questions 1 to 9 and 18 to 28 were checked.
For the remaining 177 candidates, only questions 1 to 8 and 18 to 28 were evaluated.
The investigation has found that the evaluation was allegedly terminated midway through a fake software login.
PSC members have told investigators that Baiju alone decided the panel that prepared the questions and the officials who evaluated the answer scripts.
The PSC Secretary, Saju George, has also reportedly told the Crime Branch that Baiju made decisions without consulting others and blamed officials whenever controversies arose.
He said Baiju and Hari jointly took decisions, but the Chairman often acted unilaterally.
Meanwhile, a three-member BJP delegation is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu to seek action against the PSC board.
The delegation comprises the BJP state president and MLA, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and nominated Rajya Sabha members C. Sadanandan and P.T. Usha.
The move follows a letter written by outgoing Governor Rajendra Arlekar to the President, seeking steps to dismiss the present PSC board over the serious allegations surrounding the commission.
The latest developments have put the spotlight on the future of the commission, whose credibility has been severely dented by the examination scandal.
And on the flip side, the pro-CPI(M) PSC Employees Union is staging a protest demanding that the PSC be left alone and its credibility not be affected through any vindictive action.