Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], August 14 (ANI): The Jharkhand Crime Investigation Department (CID) has conducted raids at multiple locations across the state in connection with alleged irregularities in various competitive examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).

According to a press release by the Jharkhand CID, the raids were carried out to arrest seven accused named in Case No. 16/2026 and execute warrants issued against them.

The accused have been identified as Aditya Pandey, Pawan Kumar Singh, Ravishankar Kumar, Santosh Kumar Singh, Sanand Prakash, Lalu Kumar Yadav and Saurabh Kumar Pandey.

The CID conducted searches at different locations in several districts as part of the investigation and efforts to apprehend the accused.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in various competitive examinations conducted by the JPSC. During the investigation, the CID has also started the process of matching OMR carbon copies obtained during the probe and examining the evidence collected in the case.

The agency said the investigation is being conducted continuously and further action will be taken as per the law on the basis of the evidence gathered.

The CID said the process of taking legally permissible action against those found involved in the case is underway.

Earlier, on August 13, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged protests across several cities over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter and strict action against those responsible.

In New Delhi, a large number of students and ABVP workers staged a protest outside Jharkhand Bhawan, demanding that the Jharkhand government take concrete steps to restore the credibility of the examination system.

Similar protests were held in Lucknow, Kolkata, Guwahati, Agartala, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Gorakhpur, Jodhpur, Kota, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi and Prayagraj, among other places and university campuses, the ABVP said.

The student organisation said the protests were held to press for an impartial and high-level CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations and strict action against those found responsible.

The ABVP also demanded the immediate cancellation of the JSSC CGL examination, citing questions over its integrity, and called for fresh examinations where irregularities have been reported.

The protests came amid ongoing demonstrations by students in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations. The ABVP said students protesting peacefully on August 10 and 11 were subjected to lathi-charge, water cannons and arrests.

Meanwhile, the protests by the JPSC-JSSC aspirants continue at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. (ANI)