Massive Police Recruitment Fraud In Jammu And Kashmir, Merit List Of 1,200 Cancelled

Thousands of aggrieved candidates took to the streets in Jammu and forced the administration to order a probe.

The recruitment of 1,200 police officers has been cancelled in Jammu and Kashmir following large-scale corruption in the exams. This was Jammu and Kashmir's first significant recruitment drive after the abrogation of its special status in 2019.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe and promised action against the guilty days after a probe panel headed by RK Goyal, Additional Chief Secretary Home J&K, submitted its report. The panel has found large-scale corruption and manipulation of the merit list of police Sub- Inspectors released by the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) last month.

"JKP Sub-Inspector recruitment has been cancelled & a CBI probe has been recommended into the selection process. Culprits will be brought to justice soon. It's a first big step towards securing the future of our youth and the government will soon decide the future course of action for fresh recruitment," Governor Sinha tweeted.

Around 97,000 candidates appeared in exams conducted by the JKSSB. Days after the merit list of sub-inspectors was made public last month, serious discrepancies surfaced. Among the toppers in the list were relatives from 20 families, raising doubts about the fairness of the selection process. Also, the selection of dozens of candidates from a specific area and specific centre in Jammu raised eyebrows.