Kerala PSC row: secretary makes explosive charges against chairman

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) Secretary Saju George has made serious allegations against the commission's chairman and members in his statement to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing examination irregularities, dealing a fresh blow to the commission's top leadership.

The secretary reportedly told investigators that Chairman M.R. Baiju had repeatedly bypassed senior officials and taken decisions on examinations without consulting them. He alleged that the chairman often made unilateral decisions and subsequently pressured commission members to approve them at meetings.

George also pointed to procedural violations in several examinations, including the Planning Board recruitment examination, and alleged that the PSC had lost its collective accountability. Some commission members had previously given similar statements to the SIT.

The secretary was questioned for several hours on Saturday and appeared again at the Crime Branch headquarters on Monday. The second round of questioning reportedly focused on discrepancies and unanswered questions from the initial interrogation.

Baiju, who was questioned by the SIT for more than six hours earlier, had denied interfering in examination procedures and placed responsibility on the secretary and other officials, including arrested Additional Secretary R. Hari and former Deputy Secretary P. Satheesh. He also claimed that irregularities by officials had prompted a fresh evaluation and changes to the rank list.

The SIT suspects that the chairman and the arrested officials may have coordinated their statements to shift responsibility.

The investigation is now widening, with notices issued to PSC members for questioning. The team is also preparing to seek custody of the two arrested officials and record statements from other officers, including Examination Controller Bini K. Abraham.