In a hard-hitting judicial observation, the Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that competitive examination paper leaks constitute a crime more heinous than murder, as they systematically ruin the futures and careers of millions of young aspirants. Delivering this strong verdict, Justice Bibhu Dutta Guru rejected the bail application of 62-year-old retired IAS officer Jeevan Kishore Dhruv, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in September 2025 in connection with the massive Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) exam irregularities case. The court emphasized that while murder impacts a single family, the destruction of millions of aspiring candidates' careers inflicts long-term, devastating damage on society as a whole.Abuse of Official Position and Alleged Family InvolvementAccording to court documents, Jeevan Kishore Dhruv served as the Secretary of the CGPSC during the alleged irregularities in the 2020-2022 recruitment examinations. The CBI investigation revealed that the former bureaucrat blatantly abused his official position by accessing confidential question papers for the CGPSC Main Examination, 2021, and allegedly passing them on to his son, Sumit Dhruv. As a direct result of this leaked information, the son secured selection for the prestigious post of Deputy Collector. Rejecting the defense's argument that the applicant was falsely implicated and that no incriminating material apart from a mobile phone was recovered, the High Court noted that witness statements, home seizures, and documentary evidence point prima facie to his direct involvement in the criminal conspiracy.CBI Probe and Broader Crackdown on CGPSC Exam IrregularitiesThe high-profile case stems from extensive irregularities reported in the CGPSC recruitment exams conducted between 2020 and 2022. The CBI formally took over the investigation in July 2024, registering two major cases to uncover the widespread corruption undermining the integrity of public service examinations. Opposing the bail plea, CBI counsel Vaibhav Govardhan argued that the gravity of the offense and the systematic destruction of public trust left no grounds for leniency. The ongoing multi-agency probe has already resulted in the arrest of several prominent figures, including former CGPSC chairman Taman Singh Sonwani, former deputy controller of examinations Lalit Ganvir, and various relatives and prominent industrialists tied to the selection scandal, dealing a severe blow to examination malpractice rings in the state.
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