The Jharkhand Crime Investigation Department (CID) has conducted raids at several locations across the state as part of its investigation into alleged irregularities in competitive examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).

According to a CID press release, the searches were carried out to arrest seven accused named in Case No. 16/2026 and execute warrants issued against them.

The accused have been identified as Aditya Pandey, Pawan Kumar Singh, Ravishankar Kumar, Santosh Kumar Singh, Sanand Prakash, Lalu Kumar Yadav and Saurabh Kumar Pandey.

The CID conducted searches in several districts as part of efforts to apprehend the accused. The agency said its investigation into the case is continuing.

CID examining evidence in exam irregularities case

The case relates to alleged irregularities in various competitive examinations conducted by the JPSC.

As part of the investigation, the CID has begun matching OMR carbon copies obtained during the probe and examining other evidence collected in the case.

The agency said further action would be taken according to law on the basis of the evidence gathered. It added that legally permissible action against those found involved in the case is underway.

ABVP protests over JPSC, JSSC exams

The CID raids come amid protests over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in examinations conducted by the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

On August 13, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held protests in several cities, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and strict action against those responsible.

In New Delhi, students and ABVP workers protested outside Jharkhand Bhawan, calling on the Jharkhand government to take steps to restore confidence in the examination system.

According to the ABVP, similar protests were held in Lucknow, Kolkata, Guwahati, Agartala, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Gorakhpur, Jodhpur, Kota, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi and Prayagraj, as well as at university campuses.

The student organisation has sought an impartial CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations. It has also demanded cancellation of the JSSC CGL examination, citing concerns over its integrity, along with fresh examinations where irregularities have been reported.

Meanwhile, JPSC-JSSC aspirants continue to protest at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. The ABVP has also alleged that students protesting peacefully on August 10 and 11 faced lathi-charge, water cannons and arrests.

Jharkhand CID has conducted raids at multiple locations in connection with alleged irregularities in JPSC competitive examinations and efforts to arrest seven accused named in Case No. 16/2026.

The action comes amid continuing student protests demanding a CBI probe into alleged JPSC-JSSC exam irregularities.

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a proposed law to regulate the use of government premises and public property in the state, amid an ongoing political debate over the registration and use of public spaces by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The Karnataka Regulation of Use of Government Premises and Public Property Bill, 2026 was cleared by the Cabinet, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said after the meeting.

According to the government, the proposed legislation aims to establish a legal framework governing the use of government lands, buildings, playgrounds, parks, roads and other public assets by private individuals, organisations, associations and societies.

Kharge said the objective was to prevent unauthorised use and misuse of public property while ensuring that such assets are protected for public benefit.

What the Karnataka public property bill proposes

The proposed legislation is expected to lay down procedures for obtaining permission to use government property for events, meetings and other activities.

It also proposes provisions for penalties in cases involving misuse of government premises or damage to public property, according to officials.

The government is expected to introduce the Bill in the Karnataka legislature, where it will be taken up for discussion and passage.

Priyank Kharge denies Bill targets RSS

The proposed legislation comes against the backdrop of a row involving the RSS and its use of public property in Karnataka.

Kharge, however, rejected speculation that the Bill had been framed specifically against the RSS or any other organisation. He said the government did not have a particular institution, association, organisation, society, club, union, syndicate or NGO in mind.

The issue has been part of a wider political debate since 2025, with Kharge opposing the use of government premises and public property by the RSS and calling for the organisation to register formally.

In June, Kharge also wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking clarity on the organisation’s legal status, financial transparency and constitutional accountability.

The development is likely to keep the debate over the use of public property and the legal status of organisations in Karnataka in focus as the proposed legislation moves to the state legislature.

At least seven people were killed after a sudden surge of water and debris entered an under-construction tunnel at a hydropower project in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Thursday, officials said. Three workers are still trapped, while 18 workers have been rescued so far, according to the State Disaster Management Authority.

Around 28 people were working at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC) project site in Pipalkoti when a large amount of water and debris rushed into the tunnel. The force of the water swept several workers towards the tunnel’s exit.

Water and debris surged into tunnel

Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said a significant amount of debris and water entered the tunnel at around 6.30 pm while construction work was underway.

“This is a tunnel under construction for a hydropower project. Around 6.30 pm, a significant amount of debris and water surged into the tunnel,” he said.

Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are working through the debris to locate the three workers who remain trapped.

Dhami orders rescue operation

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed officials to conduct rescue and relief operations on a priority basis. He said he was receiving real-time updates from senior officers about the situation.

Dhami also said he had spoken to injured workers undergoing treatment in hospital and that their condition was stable.

The chief minister said he had informed the chief ministers of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh that residents of those states who were injured or involved in the incident were receiving treatment in Uttarakhand.

Heavy rain in Chamoli

The incident comes after several days of heavy rainfall in the district. On Monday, strong currents caused by rising water levels in a river swept away a bridge in the Niti Valley region of Chamoli.

A video of the incident showed a large volume of muddy water rushing downstream and striking the metal bridge. The force of the water uprooted the bridge and pushed it towards the riverbank.