Ranchi, April 1: A group of examinees, enraged by the complete anarchy ruling the examination for six posts of research assistants-cum-cataloguer at the state secretariat, boycotted the test and created a ruckus at the MLA hostel hall.

About 245 students from across the state and Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Bihar smashed the windowpanes of the hall and staged a demonstration near the Assembly gate in protest against an inordinate delay in starting the exam, allowing cellphones and bags and “the freedom to sit” according to the whims of the examinees.

By the evening, the Assembly secretariat lodged an FIR against three examinees — Luv Kumar, Sanjay Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar — at the Jagarnathpur police station for instigating fellow examinees to boycott the examination and destroying government property.

Luv Kumar, an examinee held guilty by the authorities for the offences, told The Telegraph: “The two-hour examination was supposed to start at 10 am. But the Vidhan Sabha officials came only at 11.30 and asked us to answer eight questions within 12. With only half an hour left to go, we had no option to boycott the examination. Besides, the authorities let mobile phone and bags inside the examination hall and the candidates were allowed to sit anywhere they wished.”

Another examinee, Atul Kumar Karn, echoed his sentiments and said the examination was merely an “eyewash”. “We demand that the examination be conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission. The Vidhan Sabha officials have fooled us on All Fools’ Day,” he said.

Vidhan Sabha secretary Sitaram Sahni, while accepting the delay in starting the examination, attributed it to the secretariat typewriter. “It was not functioning properly. So there was a delay in preparing the question paper. We typed the papers today only in order to prevent a leak,” he said.

The Assembly secretariat has come out with a notification to cancel the examination, but is yet to announce a new date.

Office-in-charge of Jagarnathpur police station Rampravesh Kumar said police reached the spot and pacified the brewing discontentment among the candidates. “We’ve received a written complaint against the students this evening,” Kumar said.