Andhra Pradesh Group-I Exam Scandal: SIT Flags Unauthorised Evaluators, OMR Tampering and Resort-Based Valuation

 

An investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the 2018 Andhra Pradesh Group-I recruitment examination has uncovered alleged irregularities at several stages of the evaluation process, including the involvement of unauthorised evaluators, manual valuation at a private resort and extensive alterations in evaluation records.

The examination, conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) for recruitment to 169 Group-I posts, had attracted more than 1.14 lakh applications.

The SIT was constituted by the Andhra Pradesh government in February 2026 following directions from the High Court to scientifically investigate allegations of tampering and irregularities in the recruitment process.

According to the SIT report, irregularities were allegedly detected across three evaluation exercises — the original digital valuation in 2021, a manual valuation reportedly conducted at a private resort following a High Court order, and a second manual valuation carried out in Vijayawada in 2022.

Unauthorised evaluators in digital valuation

The SIT found alleged lapses in the original digital evaluation of the Group-I mains examination. It said the decision to introduce digital valuation and the panel of evaluators did not have the mandatory approval of the APPSC chairman.

Of the 158 evaluators in the secretary-approved panel, only 72 reportedly evaluated answer scripts. Another 25 individuals who were not part of the approved panel allegedly evaluated scripts and were paid for their work.

The SIT also noted that the approved panel largely comprised teachers and lecturers from private schools and colleges, rather than university-level subject experts contemplated under the APPSC Office Manual.

The digital evaluation was allegedly coordinated using unofficial private email accounts and Google Drive links. Investigators also detected differences between marks initially entered by evaluators and those appearing in the final digital-result database.

The SIT further alleged that second-evaluation marks were entered in some cases without an independent second examiner. Freelancer Mahamkali Raghuram was alleged to have made some such entries himself.

APPSC reportedly paid Rs 1.38 crore to Stone Media Advisory Services and TrueGrader for the digital evaluation, while Raghuram received approximately Rs 10 lakh for evaluation and coordination work.

Manual evaluation raises questions

After candidates challenged the digital evaluation, the High Court ordered manual valuation, observing that the notified methodology for digital evaluation was contrary to the recruitment notification.

The SIT subsequently found that the manual evaluation was conducted at a private resort rather than a government facility. It alleged that the exercise effectively involved re-entering previously generated digital marks.

The report also noted that answer scripts remained in the custody of a private agency for 84 days and raised allegations against then APPSC secretary PSR Anjaneyulu.

A second manual evaluation was conducted in Vijayawada in 2022 after D Gautam Sawang took charge as APPSC chairman. However, the SIT said it found no documentary record supporting the policy decision to conduct the exercise.

OMR alterations and CCTV lapses

The second manual evaluation allegedly revealed extensive alterations, including changes or overwriting in around 95% of the records examined, along with differences in ink and handwriting.

Forensic material was examined by Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) facilities in Hyderabad, New Delhi, Shimla, Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata and Guwahati.

The SIT also raised concerns about the security of confidential examination material. It found no CCTV coverage over APPSC's Confidential Sections or Strong Room during the original examination period.

During the 2022 fresh manual valuation, CCTV cameras were reportedly installed in only two confidential-section rooms initially. The Strong Room came under CCTV surveillance only on April 11, 2022 — 17 days after valuation began.

Investigators also found discrepancies between CCTV footage and the official Guard Register and noted that most examiners allegedly carried mobile phones inside manual valuation camps.

Another concern was the unusually high number of scripts requiring third evaluation. While only 0.45% of scripts reportedly required third evaluation in the previous Group-I recruitment, the figure rose to 10.2% in the 2018 process.

The SIT said the increase alone could not prove wrongdoing, but when considered alongside alleged overwriting, unauthorised corrections, signature mismatches and other forensic findings, it indicated serious inconsistencies.

A criminal case was registered in April 2025 under Sections 409, 477-A, 420 and 120-B read with Section 34 of the IPC. Camsign Media director P Madhusudhan Rao was arrested in May 2025, while Anjaneyulu was secured through a Prisoner Transit Warrant.

The SIT examined 173 witnesses and reviewed forensic reports, financial records, WhatsApp communications, electronic data, valuation records and videos as part of its investigation.