Cases to Arrests: Murky Past of TDPL, Firm at Centre of Jharkhand Exam Crisis

TDPL faces scrutiny in Jharkhand over alleged exam irregularities arrests, past blacklisting, and ongoing CID probe.

(Photo: The Quint)

Strike up a conversation with any student at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, where protests against alleged irregularities in public service examinations have continued for over three weeks, and they would list a set of allegations:

"OMR sheets were manipulated..."
"Abhay Tiwari was running a nexus..."
"Officials were bribed..."

Among a series of allegations and demands by protesting students, the most repeated name one hears is TDPL.

"TDPL ki pareekshayein raddh karo... (Cancel every exam handled by TDPL)," is also one of the most repeated slogans from the two stages at the protest site, by leaders as well as students.

TDPL, or TSR Data Processing Private Limited, is a Lucknow-based private agency that has been at the heart of the conflict brewing in Jharkhand for weeks and is currently one of the three biggest points of contention between the two sides.

With allegations ranging from bribing the chairperson of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) with Rs 2 crore to manipulate the exams, accessing the answer key to fill OMR sheets, and charging students Rs 10-12 lakh to manipulate results, the protesters want every exam handled by TDPL to be cancelled.

However, the roots of TDPL's tainted past go way back to its home state of Uttar Pradesh, where the firm has been accused of exam irregularities and embroiled in legal battles.

A UP-Based Firm With a Long, Tainted History

A Lucknow-based firm founded in 2010, with Ram Beer Singh and Satya Pal Singh as its directors, TDPL has been accused of a series of exam irregularities in Uttar Pradesh before finding itself in the eye of the storm in Jharkhand.

In 2021, Ram Beer Singh and Satya Pal Singh, along with the director of another firm, Rabhav Limited, were accused of irregularities in the examination for recruitment of Gram Panchayat Adhikari in Uttar Pradesh, held in 2018. 

In 2020, the same firms were tasked with conducting the examination for the recruitment of Assistant Review Officers under the Secretariat of Uttar Pradesh.

In a writ petition filed in the High Court against this exam in 2021, it was alleged that "most of the candidates were either relatives or friends of the officials, working in the Secretariat, or relatives or friends of Directors of TSR Data Processing Private Limited and Rabhav Limited".

Even though the High Court dismissed the writ petition in October 2021, stating that the alleged malpractice could not be established, it directed that both companies be blacklisted from conducting any competitive examinations based on the previous malpractice in the Gram Panchayat Adhikari Exam. 

In an appeal before a division bench, however, the blacklist order was overturned in November 2021.

Allegations Against TDPL in Jharkhand

In May 2025, JSSC blacklisted TDPL over alleged non-compliance with the terms of its agreement. However, a month later, the JPSC engaged TDPL to conduct examinations through a nomination-based process, rather than a competitive tendering process. Further, the CID allegedly found that background verification of the company was also not conducted before awarding the tender.

However, the allegations go much further. As per the CID investigation so far:

• The CID probe reveals that the answer key for the JPSC Preliminary Examination held in April 2026 was shared with TDPL employees via a WhatsApp group over a month before the conduct of the exam. It is suspected that OMR sheets left blank by candidates were fraudulently filled by TDPL employees.

• Answer sheets for the Forest Range Officer (FRO) examination were also found by the CID at TDPL's Ranchi office, which should not have been in its possession. A TDPL employee, during questioning, reportedly said that the answer sheets had been sent by employees who were conducting the exam.

• The CID also alleged that 15 candidates in Bokaro district gave Rs 12 lakh each to illegally obtain prior access to answer sheets and question papers. Allegations have also been raised that 65 questions and answers were provided to certain candidates before the exams, although these claims have not yet been verified.

Among those arrested are also several people from TDPL, including director Ram Beer Singh, former marketing manager Abhay Tiwari, accountant Rakshak Singh, and technical programmers Usman and Ebad.

The CID has also raided TDPL's Lucknow and Ranchi offices and seized several documents and devices. Investigations are still underway.

TDPL's Abhay Tiwari Who Cleared 12 Exams in 13 Years

The JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch has singled out one individual in its allegations against the conduct of examinations by TDPL. Abhay Kumar Tiwari, the former marketing manager of TDPL, has allegedly cleared 12 competitive exams in the last 13 years.

The list of exams he has reportedly cleared include Jharkhand’s Police Sub-Inspector examination, JSSC PGT and CGL examinations and the JPSC ACF, FRO, FSO and Civil Services preliminary examinations.

The protesters have also drawn attention to the examination records of Tiwari’s immediate family, his brother Akshay Tiwari, and his wife Sushma Kumari, also allegedly cleared and were recruited for public service positions through the JSSC-CGL exam.

Tiwari also allegedly charged candidates Rs 2-5 lakh each for "guaranteed selection" and clearing preliminary examinations, and over Rs. 60 Lakhs for final selection, the CID has alleged.

Allegations Against JPSC Chairperson

A day before the 10 August march of students, which turned violent ahead of the Vidhan Sabha gherao, former JPSC chairman L Khiangte was arrested by the CID.

Khiangte is a retired IAS officer who has previously served as the state Chief Secretary.

While the CID has not officially revealed the exact allegations against Khiangte yet, reports suggest that he was allegedly involved in a Rs 2-crore bribery arrangement with TDPL.

Ahead of his arrest, Khiangte had been questioned four times by the CID in connection with the irregularities. While he resigned on 22 July, three more members of the JPSC, Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmad, also resigned on 9 August and were later summoned for questioning by the CID.

Several other former and serving officials of the JPSC have also been arrested during the investigation, including Deputy Controller of Examinations Shweta Kumari Gupta, staff member Sonu Kumar, and computer operator Dharmendra Kumar.

The Points of Contention

The Jharkhand government has since agreed to multiple demands by the protesters, including the cancellation of three exams conducted by TDPL.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also initiated an investigation into financial irregularities related to the exams. However, the demand for a CBI probe and the blanket cancellation of all exams conducted by TDPL are the two major points of contention that have led to the continuation of the protests.

Given the series of allegations against TDPL and Abhay Tiwari, scores of protesters have expressed distrust in the exams handled by the agency and justified their demand for a blanket cancellation.

The Hemant Soren government, however, has been pressing for an investigation into the exams instead.

While investigations into the alleged misconduct continue, students continue to raise questions about the process through which examination agencies are selected.

Tensions between the two sides have since escalated, with the protesters now having given an ultimatum to the Soren government to fulfil their demands by 18 August, failing which they will carry out a march to CM Soren's residence on 20 August.