Even as student protests continue unabated, Jharkhand has witnessed a major twist, with CID officials detaining L. Khiangte, the former chairman of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC). The detention has caused a sensation, coming at a time when students protesting the call for an Assembly siege are already staging large-scale agitations across the state. Following his detention, Khiangte was questioned on several key aspects related to the JPSC’s 14th Combined Civil Services examination. CID officials specifically questioned him on why TDPL, a blacklisted company, was selected to conduct the JPSC’s 14th examination. He is also understood to have been questioned on several other crucial aspects connected to the case.
This is not the first time CID officials have questioned the former JPSC chairman in connection with this case — he has been interrogated on multiple occasions earlier. His arrest now, however, is significant. Khiangte, who has also previously served as Jharkhand’s Chief Secretary, resigned from the post of JPSC chairman on July 22, 2026. At the time, he stated that he was stepping down to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the paper leak issue.
Meanwhile, students have been protesting for the past 17 days against irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment examination process and the leakage of OMR sheets. As part of this agitation, a call was given for a siege of the Assembly on Monday. This led to large numbers of students and candidates who had appeared for these examinations taking to the streets in protest, resulting in heightened tension across the state.
During the protest, students held a massive rally demanding transparency, accountability, and an independent investigation into the conduct of the examinations. As thousands of students marched toward the Assembly in Ranchi, police were forced to deploy water cannons to hold them back. When students refused to retreat, police resorted to a lathi charge, leaving several students injured. Even as the agitation continued in Ranchi, students in several other districts, including Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, and Bokaro, also took to the streets in protest.