The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre, the Jharkhand government and several other authorities on a petition seeking an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025.
A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, issued notices to the Union government, the Jharkhand government, the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other respondents.
The plea, filed by activist Harisharan Devgan through advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, calls for a time-bound probe by the CBI or, alternatively, an inquiry supervised by a former Supreme Court judge.
Senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the allegations raise serious questions about the integrity of the recruitment process and require an independent investigation.
What is the case?
The court is hearing a petition seeking a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) on 19 April, 2026.
Invoking Article 32 of the Constitution, the petitioner contends that the controversy extends beyond individual grievances and touches upon broader issues of fairness, transparency and credibility in a recruitment process conducted by a constitutional body.
The petitioner, activist Harisharan Devgan, has argued that the investigation should be transferred from the state CID to an independent agency and cover the entire examination process, including question paper preparation, distribution, evaluation, OMR handling and result publication.
According to the plea, the allegations surrounding the examination have created doubts about whether the process can be relied upon as the basis for appointments to public services in Jharkhand.
Demand for independent investigation
A key demand in the petition is the transfer of the investigation from the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the CBI.
The petitioner argues that the nature of the allegations, including those involving public officials and agencies associated with the examination process, warrants scrutiny by an independent central agency rather than a state-level investigation.
The plea stresses that the matter should not be viewed merely as isolated incidents of alleged malpractice involving a few candidates. Instead, it seeks a comprehensive examination of every stage of the recruitment exercise.
Scrutiny of entire examination process sought
The petition calls for a detailed investigation into the complete chain of events connected with the examination.
This includes the preparation of question papers, their printing, storage and transportation, as well as the manner in which they were distributed to examination centres.
The petitioner has also sought scrutiny of the conduct of the examination itself, including the handling and custody of OMR answer sheets, the scanning process, evaluation procedures, electronic records, data management systems and the generation and publication of results.
According to the plea, only a comprehensive review of the entire process can determine whether any irregularities occurred and, if so, the extent of their impact on the examination outcome.
Plea calls for preservation of evidence
Another significant aspect of the petition relates to the preservation of evidence.
The petitioner has urged the court to ensure that all relevant physical and digital records are secured immediately to prevent any possibility of tampering or loss during the course of the investigation.
The materials identified include original OMR sheets, candidates’ carbon copies, CCTV footage from examination centres, server audit logs and other electronic records connected to the recruitment exercise.
The plea argues that preserving such evidence is essential if investigators are to establish an accurate account of what transpired during the examination process.
Student protests and exam cancellation
The examination sparked widespread protests by candidates, who alleged irregularities in the conduct of the test and demanded a transparent investigation. Amid mounting pressure, the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of the preliminary examination, stating that a fresh examination would be conducted after reviewing the complaints.
The decision triggered a political and legal debate, with some candidates supporting a re-test while others opposed scrapping the examination altogether.
The petitioner has clarified that the plea does not seek cancellation of the examination solely on the basis of allegations, media reports or public demonstrations.
Instead, the focus is on securing an impartial and time-bound inquiry capable of determining the nature, scale and consequences of any alleged irregularities.
Jharkhand HC stay on cancellation
The government’s decision to cancel the examination was subsequently challenged before the Jharkhand High Court. The High Court granted an interim stay on the cancellation, effectively preventing the state authorities from proceeding with a fresh examination until the matter is decided.
