Thiruvananthapuram, October 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Kerala Crime Branch on Wednesday arrested former Public Service Commission (PSC) official P. Satheesh in connection with an alleged examination scam, while PSC Chairman M.R. Baiju appeared before investigators for questioning as part of the ongoing probe.
Satheesh was arrested in Kozhikode over alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination for the post of Chief of the State Planning Board. He was in charge of the examination wing and responsible for evaluating the controversial examination. The Crime Branch had recently named him as an accused in the case.
Satheesh retired from service last year. His arrest marks a significant development in the investigation, which is expanding to examine the roles of senior officials and alleged irregularities in other recruitment examinations.
Baiju appeared before the Crime Branch team on Wednesday as the questioning of PSC members continued. The process began earlier this week, with three members appearing before investigators and their statements being recorded.
According to reports, the PSC members told investigators that they had no direct role in conducting examinations or evaluating answer scripts. They reportedly said their responsibilities were mainly related to interview panels, while the chairman, secretary and examination controller handled examination-related matters.
R. Hari, Additional Secretary in the PSC’s Examination Wing, had earlier been suspended after being named as an accused in the case.
The PSC had also initiated departmental action against Satheesh. Following his retirement, the commission decided to withhold his retirement benefits.
The investigation has now widened beyond the State Planning Board recruitment examination. The Crime Branch’s Special Investigation Team has registered two additional cases involving alleged irregularities in recruitment for the posts of Fisheries Extension Officer in the Fisheries Department and Village Oil Inspector in the Khadi Board.
The developments have raised questions about the transparency and credibility of Kerala’s public recruitment system. Investigators are examining the roles of officials involved in the examination process and seeking to establish the full extent of the alleged irregularities.
Further action is expected as the investigation progresses.
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