Vigilance bureau probe reveals numerous anomalies in 2001 Haryana Public Service exam

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government recently accorded prosecution sanction against former Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) secretary Hardeep Singh, a retired IAS officer, and referred the matter to the President of India seeking sanction to prosecute the then HPSC chairman K C Bangar and the then members of the commission in connection with the alleged massive irregularities in recruitments by the commission between March 1, 1999 and May 3, 2002.
TOI examined the voluminous investigation report by the Haryana state vigilance bureau on the basis of which it is pressing for criminal prosecution of HPSC “high-ups” almost 17 years after the registration of criminal cases in the matter.

The comprehensive vigilance investigation, which includes forensic ex - amination and involvement of experts, in the case has revealed that in the 2001 selection process for recruitment to the HCS (executive branch) and allied services, marks of candidates were in - creased and decreased by cutting/overwriting on answer sheets.
There is no authentication of various cuttings by the examiners. Even use of double pen/ ink in the marking of answer sheets, answers recorded on crossed out pages, disclosure of identity by the candidates, solving of different parts of questions on different pages by the candidates, and different handwriting in different answer sheets by the same candidate, have also been established in the detailed investigation.
The vigilance investigation also revealed gross manipulations in the interview marks to fix the merit order to arrive at a predetermined outcome. The most shocking detail that emerged from the investigation was that marks in the answer sheets of several selected candidates for the executive branch of HCS, which is the prestigious provincial civil service, were increased with the connivance of the examiners to ensure their selection.
These manipulations have been detected apart from the fact that such candidates were given maximum marks in the interview to ensure their selection. Shockingly, minimum marks were given to meritorious candidates to ensure that they are left with the lowest service in the allied services or are left out of the competition.
As per vigilance investigation, in the selection to HCS and allied services 2001 examination, there was a gross abuse of the official position by the then HPSC chairman and secretary in connivance with some of the examiners, and undue benefit had been given to the non-deserving candidates.
In the same way, the accused persons by abusing their official position caused undue loss to deserving candidates by either reducing their marks in the written examination by cutting/overwriting their answer sheets or awarding them very low marks in the interviews.
‘Not committed any illegality’
No instruction and procedure adopted by the commission or the state government was flouted by me. I did work in a bonafide way, and duty was discharged in good faith. There was no leakage of secrecy during the whole process.
There is no iota of evidence to prove my involvement in the alleged crime. I was not shown as accused in the main FIR. The prosecution sanction has been granted against me by an officer who was not competent to take such a decision - Hardeep Singh , former HPSC secretary and retired IAS officer in his recent plea before the HC, claiming his innocence.
O P Chautala given clean chit
Initially, when the investigation started, it was alleged that these irregularities were committed by the then HPSC functionaries in connivance with the then CM Om Prakash Chautala. However, during the investigation and on the basis of the record and state - ments of the witnesses, no evidence against Chautala has come on record.
The contentious selection of 2001 batch of HCS officers
Vide advertisement dated March 1, 1999, a total of 66 posts of HCS and allied ser - vices were advertised. A total of 21,845 applications were received, and a written examination was held in December 2000 and 2001. In HCS main examination, a total of 3,951 candidates appeared and finally, 196 were called for interview.
The interviews were held from October 22, 2001 to November 19, 2001, at Panchkula and on May 3, 2002, the final result of the examination was declared.
At the helm of affairs
At that time, Hardeep Singh was the HPSC secretary, Banwari Lal was the controller of examination, K C Bangar was the chairman and Mahinder Singh Shastri, N N Yadav, Gulshan Bhardwaj (now deceased), Mehar Singh Saini (now deceased), Jagdish Rai, Narender Vidhyalankar, Dayal Singh and Suresh Kumar Gupta were members of the HPSC. The examiners empanelled with the HPSC included Professor J C Kappan (English and English Essay), S K Verma (General Knowledge), Jagdish Singh (Geography), Dr K D Pandey (now de - ceased, was for Hindi and Hindi Essay), Dr Vivek Panday (Hindi Literature), Dr Maheswary Prasad (History), Professor Chander Mauli (Physics), Dr R K Boss (Mathematics), R K Poonia (Sociology), professor Pushpinder Kumar (San - skrit), professor Prem Sagar Chatur - vedi (History) and Devender Gopal (Political Science).
Inspection of answer sheets
A special team of Haryana’s higher education department was constituted by SVB on March 12, 2009 to inspect and examine the answer sheets of the HCS 2001 examination in the HPSC Panchkula office. Inspection/examination of total 696 answer sheets of 117 candidates out of total 195 candidates was undertaken by the special team.
During inspections, irregularities were found in 198 answer sheets of 101 candidates. Irregularities in the said answer sheets include over-writing, increase or reductions of marks, use of different inks, pages left blank, award of marks by the examiners to those who had not attempted the questions and addition of marks etc.
Around 465 answer sheets of 78 candidates were found to be deposited with the Punjab and Haryana high court where the selection was challenged on the allegations of favouritism filed by senior Congress leader Karan Singh Dalal.
The HC permitted the SVB to examine the record in the presence of a joint registrar rank officer of the HC on September 8-11, 2009. During the inspection, it was found that in 54 answer sheets of 35 candidates, marks were either increased or decreased by cutting/over writing.
Also, grave irregularities were observed in awarding of marks by the examiners, double pens/inks were used, blank pages were left and still, answers were found recorded.
FSL found answer sheets had been tampered with
During the investigation, 98 answer sheets were sent to state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Madhuban, Kar - nal. In the report of FSL, it had been found that there was largescale tampering with the answer sheets, as marks were given by way of cutting/overwriting. Use of different inks and writing instruments had also been detected in the FSL report.
Investigation revealed that the exam - iners concerned could not give any satisfactory reply for the cuttings/over - writing, increase and decrease of marks or other irregularities in the said answer sheets.
Answer sheets taken privately Investigation revealed that the answer sheets in which major irregularities were found, were sent to the examiners located in Delhi, Varanasi, Allahabad, Gorakhpur and Hisar.
It was revealed that the said answer sheets were found to be personally taken to the examiner by the then HPSC secretary. During the investigation, the then secretary as well as the examiners could not give any satisfactory replies.
Undue benefits to 15 candidates
The investigation revealed that in the selection of HCS (executive) and allied services examination, undue benefits were given to 15 candidates, either by awarding more marks in the interview or by increasing their marks in the an - swer sheets.
➤ Candidate Vatsal Vashist, finally selected for the HCS (executive branch), got 507 marks out of 750 in the written examination and 92 marks out of 100 in the interview (total 599 out of 850). The investigation revealed that in the English and English Essay examination, 29 extra marks were given to him by the examiner J C Kappan by cutting/overwriting.
Similarly, in History of India, nine extra marks have been given to him by the examiner Dr Maheswary Prasad. Thus, his marks increased by a total of 38.
Had the said 38 marks not been increased, he would not have even been eligible to appear for interview and would not have been selected for any post, as the cut-off for the interview was 489 marks. In comparison to his marks in written exami - nation (67%), he was awarded 92% marks in the interview.
➤ Candidate Kuldhir Singh was se - lected for HCS (executive branch), with 513 marks out of 750 in written examination and 88 out of 100 marks in interview, with a total of 601 marks.
The investigation revealed that eight extra marks have been awarded to him in English and English Essay. He got 14 extra marks in Hindi and Hindi Essay, and 11 extra marks in History by examiners J C Kappan, Dr K D Pandey (since de - ceased) and Prof Prem Sagar Chaturvedi, respectively.
Overall, his marks increased by 33 in the written examination. He would not have even been eligible to appear for the interview without these 33 marks.
➤ During the investigation, it was found that candidate Ranjeet Kaur, selected for HCS (executive branch), had 493 (750) marks in written examination and 90 (100) in the interview, with a total of 583 marks. In the Hindi and Hindi Essay written examination, her marks were increased by 20 by examiner Dr K D Pandey (since de - ceased).
If these 20 marks had not been increased, she would have been much lower in the merit list and would have been selected only for the post of block development and panchayat officer (BDPO).
➤ Candidate Sanjit Kumar, selected as tehsildar, got 501 (750) marks in the written examination and 90 (100) marks in the in - terview, securing a total of 591 marks. The investigation has revealed that his marks were increased in Physics by making cuttings and it was found that he had attempted over crossed pages, thus a total of seven additional marks were given to him by the examiner Prof V C Maouli.
In Mathematics, additional marks were given to him by usage of different inks. It was found that the answer sheet was crossed and he attempted the answer after that and a total of 12 additional marks were found to be given to him by examiner R K Boss. He could not have been selected in any service without these 19 additional marks.
➤ Candidate Kamlesh Kumar, selected for the HCS executive branch, was given 511 marks in written exam and 90 marks (100) in the interview, securing a total of 601. Investigation revealed that in the written examination of English and English Essay, 12 additional marks were given to him by the examiner J C Kappan, Without these 12 marks, he would have been lower in the merit list and would have been selected only for the post of BDPO or district food supply office (DFSO).
➤ Similarly, candidate Sarita Malik got 11 additional marks from examiner R K Poonia. With - out these 11 marks, she would have been selected as a tehsildar. But she was selected for the HCS executive branch.
➤ Candidate Ashok Kumar was selected as district food and supply officer. His total marks of 587 included 510 (750) in written and 77 (100) in interview. He got 10 additional marks in Sanskrit written test by examiner Pushpinder Kumar. Without these marks, he would not have been selected for any post.
➤ Investigation revealed that Rakesh Kumar, selected as BDPO, secured a to - tal of 585 (850) marks after his marks in Maths were increased by examiner Dr R K Boss. If these six marks had not been increased, he would not have qualified for interview.
➤ Candidate Poonam Nara, selected as assistant registrar, cooperative socie - ties, got a total of 595 marks out of 850 with 522 (750) in written examination and 73 (100) in interview. Investigation revealed that in the written examination of English and English Essay, five marks were increased. She would have only been selected as BDPO without these additional five marks.
➤ Candidate Dilbag Singh, selected as excise and taxation officer (ETO), secured 575 (750) marks in the written test. Investigation revealed that his marks were increased in the written test of Hindi and Hindi Essay, and in the map of Geography by 23 and 18 by the examiners Dr K D Pandey (since deceased) and Jagdish Singh, respectively, whereas no map was enclosed with the answer sheet of geography.
➤ Candidate Veena Hooda was selected to the HCS executive branch with 527 (750) marks in written examination and 85 (100) in the interview with a total 612 marks. Inspection of her answer sheets found that the handwriting of the candidate differs in different papers.
Candidates’ marks found reduced
The marks of some candidates such as Satish Kumar, Kulvir Singh, Manisha Jain - were deducted by the examiners so that they might not be able to come in the prestigious executive branch or remain out of the selection list.
Undue benefit in Interview
The investigation has revealed that the interviews for the HCS examination in 2001 were held from October 22, 2001 to Novem - ber 19, 2001, but no day-to-day record of interviews was maintained by the commission. The vigilance found that with a view to give undue benefit to their favourite candidates, interview marks were awarded and signed on a single day — May 2, 2002. Otherwise, in the normal course, each interview committee would have maintained a day-wise record of the interviews con - ducted by them separately