Men in uniform used to transport question papers, candidates
*Papers of some other States were also leaked
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 8: Going ahead with crackdown in paper leakage scam of Sub Inspectors of Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and Junior Engineers (JE) Civil, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) today conducted raids at seven locations spread over three States and Union Territory including residences of four police and paramilitary personnel and three conduits.
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A total of 13 persons including a BSF Commandant besides police and paramilitary personnel have so far been arrested in connection with the scam. Four of them are in the CBI custody while nine others have been sent to the jail.
The CBI is now tightening noose on at least four former officers of the Services Selection Board (SSB), who were shunted out of the recruitment body after their involvement surfaced in the paper leakage scam.
Official sources told the Excelsior that multiple CBI teams conducted simultaneous raids at seven locations today including two each in Jammu and Punjab and three in Haryana involving premises of three constables of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and one Indian Reserve Police (IRP).
In Jammu, the CBI searched house of Kashmir Singh, a CRPF constable at Dina Nagar in Barnai area of Bantalab and Vikas Sharma, an IRP constable at village Noor Jagir in Maira Mandrian area of Akhnoor while house of CRPF constable Atul Kumar and a private person Tarsem Lal were raided in Pathankot.
The CBI conducted raids at the house of CRPF constable Surender Singh and kingpin of exam leakage racket Yatin Yadav at Rewari in Haryana while residence of another conduit Surinder Kumar was searched at Karnal in Haryana.
A Rewari resident, Yatin Yadav, had allegedly leaked the question paper with the help of an employee of the printing press in Okhla, New Delhi. The employee identified as Pradeep Kumar has already been arrested by the CBI and is being questioned in connection with leakage of the question papers of Sub Inspectors, JE Civil and others.
In this case, 13 accused including then Commandant of BSF, one ASI and two constables of J&K Police; one CRPF constable; one ex CRPF official and a teacher were earlier arrested.
Searches were also earlier conducted at around 77 locations including the premises of the then Chairman & Controller of JKSSB. A cash of total Rs. 61.79 lakh (approx) was recovered.
The question paper was provided to candidates at Karnal (Haryana); Gangyal and Jammu, the sources said.
Yadav allegedly used illicit services of touts based in Jammu including constables of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), for luring candidates who were charged anything between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh approximately for the paper, the sources said.
The candidates were allegedly taken to Karnal in Haryana in vehicles provided by CRPF constable Surender Singh and a question paper was provided to them at a hotel there, they said.
The leaked question paper was also allegedly provided to the candidates in Jammu
The CBI had taken over investigation into the case on August 3 on a reference from the Jammu and Kashmir Government.
Sources said some documents have been seized during raids conducted by the CBI today at seven locations. Electronic gadgets like mobile telephones and laptops etc have also been seized to extract data as the accused had used mobile phones to call the beneficiaries from one place to another.
Twin exams of Sub Inspector and JE Civil have already been cancelled by the Government and will be held afresh in December.
Sources said number of Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, Indian Reserve Police personnel etc is high in the scam as their services were used by the kingpins anticipating that men in uniform will not be frisked by the cops and it was easy for them to transport question papers from New Delhi to Haryana and from Haryana to Jammu and Kashmir in private vehicles.
They also hired accommodation at hotels and other private places where the candidates from different parts of Jammu region were provided the question papers as well as answers to them. The paper leakers also took services of some teachers to solve the question paper and provide answers to the youth from whom they had charge huge sum.
Names of four former officers of Services Selection Board (SSB) have also figured during interrogation of arrested persons, for their involvement in paper leakage exam.
“All of them are under the CBI radar,” the sources said.
With four arrests made by the CBI a day before, total number of arrests in paper leakage of Sub Inspectors and JE Civil have gone up to 13.
Nine previously arrested persons including serving BSF Commandant are in the jail presently.
Meanwhile, the CBI is gearing up to file first charge sheet in the paper leak scam, the sources said, adding the charge sheet is likely to be filed by this weekend or start of next week.
Sources said the racketeers appeared to have leaked question papers of some exams in other States also especially Haryana, which was their headquarter.
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