The arrests come as investigators delve deeper into allegations of irregularities in competitive examinations conducted by TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) and examine whether people connected to the alleged racket benefited from compromised recruitment processes.

The two newly arrested relatives of Tiwari are being questioned about their examination records, government appointments and any possible association with the network under investigation.

Tiwari remains one of the central figures in the CID case. Investigators allege that he held the position of marketing manager and authorised representative of TDPL while simultaneously appearing for and clearing several competitive examinations.

According to the probe, Tiwari qualified in multiple examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), in addition to other recruitment tests. His professional position and examination history have consequently become a key part of the investigation.

The CID is also scrutinising TDPL's involvement in government recruitment examinations. The company was associated with the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination, while investigators are reviewing its role in examinations conducted over several years.

Officials are examining examination papers, electronic records and other evidence to establish how the alleged irregularities occurred and identify individuals who may have participated in or benefited from them.

Student agitation over alleged paper leaks

The CID action comes amid sustained protests by job aspirants in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination.

Students had been demonstrating since July 25, calling for the examination to be scrapped, action against those allegedly responsible and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The agitation continued for 24 days and included hunger strikes by student representatives.

The state government on Monday announced the cancellation of examinations conducted through TDPL, along with the results declared on the basis of those tests. It also ordered the CID to investigate TDPL-linked examinations conducted since 2014.

Following the announcement, student leader Devendra Mahto and several other protesters called off their hunger strike. However, some sections of the movement continued to demand a CBI investigation, arguing that a state-level inquiry was insufficient.

The protests had intensified in Ranchi, where demonstrators staged public actions against Chief Minister Hemant Soren as well as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, accusing political leaders of failing to resolve the recruitment controversy.

With Tiwari's relatives now in custody, investigators are expected to scrutinise their employment histories, examination results and possible connections with other people named in the case.

The CID will also seek to determine whether their appointments were obtained through legitimate examinations or whether they were linked to the alleged recruitment network.

The investigation has consequently expanded beyond questions surrounding individual examinations and is now probing a potentially broader system of alleged manipulation in Jharkhand's government recruitment process.