Chennai, Jan 29 (IANS): Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M.K. Stalin on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into the recruitment malpractices in Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) relating to Group IV posts.

In a statement issued here, Stalin said the Central Bureau of Investigation should probe the TNPSC recruitment scam.

He also said in order to restore the unemployed youths' confidence in TNPSC, the probe should be monitored by a High Court judge.

According to Stalin, the government has said during 2018-19 a total of 17,648 persons have been recruited through TNPSC exams in various cadres including Group IV while the total recruitment during the AIADMK rule during 2017-2019 was 22,250 persons.

Stalin said suspicion arises as to the kind of transparency that was followed in the recruitments made between 2017 and 2019 given the recruitment scam that has come to light now.

Satlin, who is the leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly, also demanded the dismissal of D. Jayakumar, Minister for Fisheries and Personnel and Administrative Reforms.

According to TNPSC, the recruitment exam for 9,398 vacancies under Group IV category was held on September 1, 2019. A total of 16,29,865 aspirants appeared in the exam.

The TNPSC said a complaint was made as the first 100 ranks were secured by those from outside but who wrote the exam in Rameswaram and Keezhakari centres in Ramanathapuam district.

A probe revealed that 99 persons, on the advice of middlemen, had opted for exam centres in Rameswaram and Keezhakari and had first marked their answers with an ink that would vanish after sometime.

Later with the help of those involved in the conduct of exams and the middlemen, correct answers were marked in the answer sheets.

According to the TNPSC, such a scam did not happen in other exam centres.