The CBI has today filed two chargesheets before Competent Court at Shimla, against 88 accused in on-going investigation of cases related to leakage of question papers of HP Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2022 held on 27.03.2022. In a media communique the CBI stated that the role of then public servants belonging to Indian Railways, Education Dept, HP, then JE & JOA (Electricity Board) of HP, then Constable of Chandigarh Police, then official of Delhi Government, an ex-servicemen and then official of Defence Accounts & Audit, surfaced during the probe. Also, departmental action has been recommended against then Police officials of Himachal Pradesh Police for alleged lapses/ negligence on their part which came on record during investigation, stated the CBI media note.
Notably that the CBI had taken over investigation of two cases registered by HP Police vide FIR No. 41 dated 05.05.2022 of Police Station Gaggal and FIR No. 05 dated 07.05.2022 of Police Station CID, Shimla, after notification issued by DoPT, Govt of India, on the request of HP Govt, for investigating allegations of leakage/ irregularities etc in the HP Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2022.
After thorough investigation, two chargesheets were filed, they stated. The investigation revealed that two accused (residents of Bihar), entered into a conspiracy with other accused persons to steal/misappropriate the questions paper (QP) of Himachal Pradesh Police Constable Recruitment Exam and through various middlemen provided the said QP to solicited candidates in lieu of money ranging from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh (approx.) at Mandi, Kangra, Chandigarh, Panchkula, Zirakpur, Mohali, etc. It was also revealed that Rs. 1.25 crore (approx.) were routed between the accounts of accused persons during the relevant period. The Investigation disclosed nexus of organised groups based in Bihar, UP, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, in the leakage of exam papers.
It was also found that persons running various private institutes at Nalanda (Bihar), Kangra (HP), Rohtak(Haryana), Delhi and Jammu connived and have been chargesheeted, stated CBI. Names of the institutes are being forwarded to NTA (National Testing Agency) for suitable action as their role also came on record during investigation, they informed.
Pertinent to mention that this case came fore in 2022, while BJP ruled Government was in power in the State of Himachal Pradesh. Initially a SIT was constituted to handle the matter. The state police SITÂ led by senior police officials probed and had already lodged two at Gaggal in Kangra, and at CID police station, Bharari, Shimla on May 5 and 7 .
Noteworthy that in the matter, besides a lot of pressure by the then opposition Congress party a PIL was also filed in the State High court. The counsel of petitioner Advocate Vinay Sharma had sought the CBI probe in the matter, stating that the same agency conducting the paper could not be trusted to lodge the inquiry into the paper leak case. However while the hearing of the case was ongoing after busting of interstate racket on May 18, 2022, the Jai Ram government decided to hand over this investigation to CBI. Altogether 1,87,311 youths and girls had applied for Police Constable examination, which had alter conducted again.
Here the the public is reminded that the above findings are based on the investigation done by CBI and evidence collected by it. Under the Indian Law, the accused are presumed to be innocent till their guilt is finally established after a fair trial.
