Kerala PSC appointment probe: SIT to question all 16 commission members

Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the controversial appointment to the Kerala State Planning Board is moving into the next phase of its investigation, with plans to question all 16 members of the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC).

The questioning is expected to begin next week, with PSC Chairman M.R. Baiju set to be questioned last, according to sources.

The move comes after the SIT completed the first round of its probe, which focused on officials associated with the appointment process.

Two PSC officials have already been found to have allegedly erred in the process, and the SIT has sought action against them in connection with the case registered over the appointment.

The decision to question all 16 PSC members marks a wider phase of the investigation, as the SIT seeks to examine the role of the commission as a whole in the selection and appointment process.

The investigators are expected to ascertain how the decision was taken and whether the prescribed procedures were followed.

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The PSC’s Planning Board appointment had raised questions over the manner in which the candidate was selected through the commission’s process. A case was subsequently registered following allegations of irregularities in the appointment.

The SIT later examined officials and documents related to the selection. The first round of questioning helped investigators identify alleged lapses on the part of two PSC officials.

The questioning of all 16 commission members is expected to help the SIT determine whether the alleged lapses were limited to officials involved in the process or whether there were wider issues in the commission’s decision-making.

The PSC Chairman has been kept for the final round of questioning. The move is significant as the investigation now reaches the highest level of the commission.

The SIT is also expected to compare the statements of the commission members with documents and records already collected during the investigation.

The latest step indicates that the SIT is seeking to establish the complete chain of events surrounding the appointment.

With IANS inputs