Serious allegations of bias leveled in Kerala PSC Deputy SP recruitment

Serious allegations of bias and procedural irregularities have emerged in the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy.SP) recruitment process by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC). The Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) has raised a major controversy regarding this matter. According to the organization, a candidate who failed to secure a place in the main rank list for police constable has now emerged at the top of the PSC list for the special recruitment of Deputy SP (Trainee) for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

SUCC Chairman R.S. Sasikumar has written a letter to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister demanding a thorough investigation into this recruitment process. He has also demanded that until the investigation is completed, the appointment of that candidate and his admission to police training should be stayed. According to a report by The Hindu, Sasikumar has alleged that Jithin K.J., a former leader of the Students Federation of India (SFI), has secured the first rank. During this, he competed against candidates who possess higher educational qualifications and are serving as government employees, which include sub-inspectors, university assistants, High Court assistants, and government auditors.

Sasikumar has questioned how a candidate holding only a BCom degree surpassed candidates with higher qualifications and professional experience. Furthermore, concerns have also been raised in the complaint regarding criminal cases registered against Jithin. According to the report, cases are said to have been registered against Jithin in incidents such as an assault on a college principal in Ernakulam and drunk driving.

Providing information about the schedule of this recruitment process, it has been stated that the PSC invited applications for the Deputy SP post in September 2025, for which around 17,000 people applied. Subsequently, the written exam was conducted on December 25 and the physical efficiency test was held on March 26, 2026. Interviews for the 35 shortlisted candidates were completed on April 26 and finally, the final rank list was released on May 6. According to the committee, an advice memo has been issued to Jithin by the PSC, but he has not yet received clearance to join the police training.

This controversy is also significant because direct recruitment to the Deputy SP cadre has been taking place since 1983 when K. Karunakaran was the Chief Minister. This post is considered an important gateway to entering the senior leadership structure of the state police.