Over 80 per cent of 2007-11 TNPSC postings illegal: Counsel

Mentioning how at least 80 per cent of officials secured employment through such irregularities, they urged the government to bring the accused out so that he would provide more evidence in the case.

Speaking to media, advocates T Ravichandran and Chellappan-who have been appearing for Dhavamani-said that Poongodi was arrested in Erode in 2012 after the TNPSC Group-II question paper was reportedly leaked. Based on her confession, the CB-CID who took up the case arrested Dhavamani, who was working as a driver in the TNPSC office, they added. The police also booked cases against Sivaguru and Ravikumar, they further said.

Meanwhile, Dhavamani escaped from the police while he was being taken to the Pune court and was secured after 10 months and was lodged in the central prison in Tiruchy.

Further, the CB-CID appealed to the Madras High Court to prevent granting bail to Dhavamani till 2022 citing that he would interfere with the case proceedings and may tamper the evidence. Subsequently, the court issued orders and Dhavamani has been spending more than six years as remand prisoner in the Tiruchy central jail, the advocates said.

“When Dhavamani was arrested by the CB-CID, he confessed that there were 30 more people involved in the TNPSC scam and also gave the list to the police. The recently arrested Jayakumar was one among those 30 suspects but the police failed to investigate properly. Had they initiated prompt action, the big scam could have been prevented,” advocateRavichandran said.

Claiming how even a TNPSC office driver could leak the question paper and earn several crores of rupees, the advocate further asked to think about those holding office. “Several hundreds of TNPSC candidates could join the State government service through the help of Dhavamani in the period between 2007 and 2011. During that period, at least 80 per cent of the officials got employment through such irregularity,” the advocate claimed and urged the CB-CID to initiate proper investigation and recommend to disqualify their candidature. He also urged the government to release Dhavamani out on bail so that he could come out and giveother evidence.