After six months, CBI take over HP police paper leak case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over investigation of HP police constables and drivers recruitment paper leak case.

Spokesperson of CBI said that two FIRs were lodged at CBI police station Shimla in Himachal Pradesh (HP) on 30 November accepting the plea of Jai Ram Thakur Government for take over of the probe.

It is worthwhile to mention that after busting of interstate racket on May 18, 2022, the Jai Ram government decided to hand over this investigation to CBI.

A state police SIT was constitued led by senior police officials to probe the case. State police had already lodged two at Gaggal in Kangra, and at CID police station, Bharari, Shimla on May 5 and 7 .

The consent was also extended by the Central government  for the CBI probe in the matter on November 1.

Spokesman of CBI said that  DSP Dinesh Kumar  and Ravinder Kush of CBI Chandigarh would probe FIR registered at Kangra and Shimla respectively.  It was worthwhile to mention that for 1,334 posts, a written exam was conducted on March 27 this year in which 75,000 candidates had appeared. Similarly for the 94 posts driver examination centers were made in 11 districts of the state at 84 centres.

State police had decided to conduct investigation of those candidates who had scored more than 65 marks out of 70.

During the investigation police found that  came out that Manish Kumar of Nurpur (Kangra), Mani Chaudhary a resident of Fatehpur (Kangra).

Gaurav, a resident of Kangra, along with several others received  the question paper and answers from Gaggal, Chandigarh, Panchkula, and other places a day or two before the exam who had allegedly paid a huge amount to buy the question paper.  Gaurav gave statement to state police that he had  got answers to the questions at Thakur Kanshi Ram Web Solution Center in Gaggal (Kangra). The CID police station at Shimla interrogated Manish Kumar, a resident of Nurpur (Kangra), revealed that question paper was bought  for Rs 8 lakh by his father.

So far state police arrested more than 170 people including candidates, parents, and agents in the case. State police also filled three charge sheets in the court.

Baring involvement of state police, they revealed that an interstate racket including a kingpin and agents were involved in question paper scam . Among the accused include resident of Delhi, UP, Uttrakhand,Bihar and Rajasthan.