Former chairperson of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), L Khiangte, was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Monday, as the JPSC-JSSC aspirant-led protests intensified in Ranchi. Thousands of students marched towards the state assembly over alleged examination irregularities. 

Jharkhand CID confirmed the arrest, news agency ANI reported. Notably, the arrest came as students continued to demand a full and fair CBI probe into the JSSC-CGL examination and wider reforms in the functioning of both the JPSC and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). 

The CID, which is spearheading the probe into the alleged recruitment scam, has arrested 19 people in connection with the case so far. Khiangte had reportedly been questioned four times since July 28 before he was finally arrested. 

JKLM leader Mahto joins protest, carries portrait of Shibu Soren

On Monday, thousands of job aspirants took to the streets as the agitation over the alleged recruitment exam irregularities entered its 17th day. 

The march began at around 10:30 am from outside the old Assembly building and coincided with Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s 51st birthday. Meanwhile, the leader of Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JKLM), Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for the past nine days over the issue, joined the march in an ambulance. He was seen carrying a portrait of Jharkhand’s former CM Shibu Soren. 

Mahto objected to the installation of barbed-wire barricades along the route, saying anger was building among students over what they termed ‘injustice’ committed against them. 

Protestors clash with cops, breach barricades

The protestors carried tricolours and placards bearing messages such as, “Cancel JSSC-CGL Exams or Conduct a CBI Probe”, “Why is CID escaping from conducting a raid on JSSC?” and “Conduct an impartial investigation, bring out the truth,” breaching successive barricades despite the deployment of police personnel in thick numbers. 

As the march reached the vicinity of Jagannathpur Temple, police deployed water cannons to disperse the congregation. Instead, protestors broke into dance while waving the tricolour. Later, the situation escalated as demonstrators tried to advance towards the Assembly. Police resorted to a mild lathi charge to control the crowd, officials said. 

According to several protestors, they were injured during the police action, which took place near the final barricade on the road leading to the new Assembly complex. 

Talks fail to yield breakthrough

The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which is leading the agitation, said it had deployed around 500 volunteers to prevent anti-social elements from joining the stir. The state government said it had held several rounds of discussions with the protestors in a bid to resolve the standoff. Following the latest round of talks, the government claimed it had accepted 98% of the demonstrators’ demands. 

However, the protestors refuted the claim, saying the government had agreed to cancel only 3 of the 13 examinations they wanted scrapped. With the protests still in motion and the demand for a CBI probe remaining unresolved, the stir remains far from over.