Thiruvananthapuram Aug 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar has stepped up the pressure on the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) amid the widening probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment and examination procedures, summoning the PSC secretary to Lok Bhavan and seeking details of the reported examination scam.
The meeting assumes significance as the Kerala Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the allegations has intensified its investigation.
The PSC Secretary met the Governor without, reportedly, the knowledge of the PSC Chairman.
The Governor is understood to have sought details of the alleged irregularities and the steps being taken by the commission in the wake of the revelations.
The SIT has already begun recording statements from officials connected with the matter and is awaiting the results of forensic examination of the computer hard disk and other digital material seized during the investigation.
The forensic findings are expected to help the investigators establish the sequence of events and possibly identify those who may have been involved, if there was any foul play.
The probe is likely to move into a more sensitive phase once the forensic reports are received, with senior officials of the PSC expected to be questioned.
After completing the collection of evidence, the SIT is expected to submit the probe report before the court, including the names of those against whom sufficient evidence is found.
The composition of the PSC itself has also come under scrutiny.
The present 16-member commission was appointed during the two successive Left Democratic Front (LDF) governments headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Six vacancies currently exist in the commission.
Despite this, the current United Democratic Front (UDF) government headed by Chief Minister V D Satheesan is yet to make fresh appointments, leaving the existing composition of the commission largely unchanged.
Against this backdrop, the Governor's decision to directly seek an account from the PSC leadership adds a new dimension to the controversy, even as the police probe gathers momentum.
-- IANS
sg/mr
Source: IANS
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