Thiruvananthapuram: In a breakthrough in the
probe into the job-for-money scam in Kerala, a middle-aged
man suspected to be a vital link in the racket that faked
Public Service Commission`s apponitment orders surrendered
before the police on Saturday.
Janardhanan Pillai alias "JP", who has been on the look
out, surrendered before a Deputy Police Superintendent here
and was taken to Wayanad district for questioning, police
sources said.
The scam pertains to forging of PSC papers like appointment
order, based on which six persons secured jobs in Wayanad
district in north Kerala. Huge sums had been allegedly
paid by the job aspirants to the members of the racket.
Pillai was suspected to have played a vital role in
forging documents and identifying the job aspirants.
He was learnt to have tipped the police about his readiness
to surrender since chances of his remaining at large for
long narrowed after the surrender of another key suspect
Abhilash Pillai four days back.
Investigators had obtained leading clues about "JP" from
interrogation of Abhilash and others who had been in custody
in connection with the biggest government job scandal that
ever happened in Kerala.
With the scandal coming as an embarrassment to the CPI (M)-
led LDF Government at a politically trying time, Collector of
Wayanad T Bhaskaran and two other senior district officials
had been placed under suspension for serious lapses on their
part in detecting and preventing the fraud.
A high level team under IG Winson M Paul had been constituted
to investigate the scandal.
PTI
