Himachal police to hand over case records to CBI today

Central probing agency has also registered two FIRS in Chandigarh

SHIMLA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has finally taken over the probe into the Himachal Pradesh Police constable recruitment paper leak, days after it sought records from the state police.

The documents will be handed over to the central probing agency by the HP Police on Monday, officials privy to the development said.

The CBI has also registered two first information reports (FIRS) in Chandigarh, they said.

The leak came to light on May 5 and the examination was cancelled the next day.

A special investigation team (SIT) was then constituted on May 7.

Buckling under the pressure from Opposition, the Himachal Pradesh government had given its consent for the CBI inquiry on May 18.

Three cases under sections of cheating and criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code were registered by the state police in connection with the leak at Gaggal (Kangra), Arki (Solan) and CID police station in Bharari (Shimla).

As many as 1,87,476 applications were received for 1,334 constable posts and 75,803 candidates qualified the physical efficiency and physical standard tests.

Of these, 26,346 candidates cleared the written examination held at 81 centres across 11 districts on March 27.

So far, 253 people, including owner of a printing press, a paper cutter who leaked the question papers, owners of coaching centres, kingpins, agents, candidates and their family members have been arrested by the SIT.

It has filed chargesheet against over 150 accused in court.

The HP Police claimed that multiple gangs were involved in the scam, including habitual offenders, engineers and people working in the railway and income tax departments.

The kingpins had planted their people in printing presses across the country and leaked several papers in the past, the police claimed.

The investigations had revealed that the final print of 80 questions was allegedly leaked from the printing press, and a member of the printing committee entrusted with the task to supervise printing of papers was under scanner.

The state police had also constituted a board of officers comprising inspector general of police (communication and technical services), deputy inspector general (police training college), and deputy controller (finance and accounts) to look into the acts of omission by the police officers involved in the constable recruitment exam, while the acts of the commission were probed by the SIT.

The case was one of the major issues in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections held on November 12.

JAI RAM GOVERNMENT HAD GIVEN ITS CONSENT FOR THE CBI INQUIRY ON MAY 18