CBI searches in FAAs paper leak scam in 6 distts
*Ex SSB Member, SO among accused named in FIR
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 3: In a major crackdown on the paper leak scamsters, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) today conducted simultaneous raids at 37 locations spread over six districts of Jammu region including two CRPF constables, two employees of the Forest Department and an Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel involved in leaking the question paper of Financial Accounts Assistants (FAAs).
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This was the third examination conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB) which has been leaked by the touts in connivance with the SSB officials and sold to candidates appearing for the exams at heavy prices. Prior to this, two papers of Sub Inspectors in Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and JE Civil were also leaked and sold.
Officials told the Excelsior that raids were conducted at 30 places in Jammu district, two each in Reasi and Rajouri districts and one each in Samba, Udhampur and Doda districts.
The raids were conducted at the houses of touts, who had leaked the paper and some beneficiaries who obtained it in lieu of cash.
The then SSB officers including one from Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) have also been named in the FIR in connection with paper leakage.
Two CRPF personnel whose premises were searched by the CBI today include Manohar Lal Sanjwal son of Madan Lal, a resident of Ward No. 32, Mohalla Panjpeer in Talab Tillo and Shiv Lal Ditta son of Bua Ditta R/o village Penthi in Taloor area of Samba.
Two Forest Department officials on whom the raids were conducted during the day by the CBI sleuths were Deepak Sharma son of Jai Paul Sharma of Bhatyari, Bishnah and Harneet son of Gurcharan Singh of Ward No. 2 at Chatha Bhour Camp.
An IAF personnel Amreek Singh’s house was also searched in Jammu.
The CBI conducted searches after registering a case in November last year over alleged irregularities in the examination conducted by the SSB.
It has booked 20 people in the case, including Neelam Khajuria, a former member of JKSSB and a JKAS officer, Section Officer Anju Raina, and Karnail Singh, who was then a Medical Officer of the BSF Frontier Headquarters and also an accused in the J-K Police Sub-Inspector recruitment examination scam case.
The examination was conducted by the board on March 6, 2022, and its results were published on April 21 that year. A total of 1.95 lakh applications were received for the exam as against 972 posts.
The results showed a high percentage of selected candidates were from the districts of Jammu, Kathua and Reasi, leading to allegations of paper leak and other irregularities, officials said.
“There were allegations regarding malpractices in the examination and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir constituted an inquiry committee to look into the same.
The report of the committee revealed the alleged conspiracy among the then officials of JKSSB, a private company based in Bengaluru, beneficiary candidates and others causing gross irregularities in the conduct of the said examination.
It was also alleged that former SSB officials violated rules in assigning the task of setting question papers to the Bengaluru-based private company.
Question papers of Sub Inspector in Jammu and Kashmir Police, JE Civil and FAAs were leaked by the touts with the help of paper conducting agency, publishers and reportedly some of the then officials of the SSB. All these exams were cancelled by the Government.
Exams of JE Civil and Sub Inspectors have been conducted afresh by the SSB while that of FAAs is yet to be held.
Other touts and beneficiaries whose houses were searched by the CBI today include Surinder Pal Singh son of Balbir Singh, a resident of Simbal Camp Dhande Kalan, Miran Sahib, Didar Singh alias Michael Singh of Arnia, Surjeet Singh son of Harnam Singh of Basti Karan Bagh, Lower Gadigarh, Sukhpal son of Amrik Singh of Karan Bagh Miran Sahib and Adarsh Preet Singh son of Surinder Singh of Preet Nagar, Gangyal, all in Jammu district; Prithpal Singh son of Prem Singh of Kundra, Reasi, Rajinder Singh son of Hem Raj R/o Zagar Bhagwah in Doda district, Karanveer Sharma son of Rajesh Kumar Sharma of Sunderbani and Tezinder Sudan son of Kewal Krishan of Bhaleri Khwas, both in Rajouri district.
Sources said some documents pertaining to paper leak scam and electronic gadgets have been recovered by the CBI during today’s raids.