Competitive exam panel flags irregularities in Talathi recruitment, alleges TCS employee aided kin

The Maharashtra government's Talathi recruitment process has come under a cloud after the Competitive Examination Coordination Committee (CECC) accused a TCS employee of helping his relative cheat and top the exam. The committee, in a letter to Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has also raised concerns about irregularities in the conduct of the written test held last month. It has sought a re-examination by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and blacklisting of TCS from future government recruitment processes.

"There are discrepancies in the exam process, and we suspect TCS employees aided their relatives who appeared for the test," Mahesh Gharbude, working president of the CECC, told PTI. "We demand a re-examination by MPSC and a thorough investigation by the home minister. "The allegations stem from the performance of two candidates from Thane district - Rishikumar Damodar Lokhande and Tejshree Shivaji Navale - who topped the merit list with 208 and 198 marks, respectively. The CECC claims Tejshree, who used her maiden name during the exam, is married to Amol Vidhate, brother-in-law of Lokhande. They further allege that Vidhate, a TCS employee, helped both candidates during the test. They have urged Fadnavis to order a probe into the matter.