Probe cops’ involvement in paper leak scam, DGP tells SIT

BOARD FORMED TO LOOK INTO ACTS OF OMISSION, IF ANY, BY POLICE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN EXAM

SHIMLA: Days after a chargesheet was filed in the police constable recruitment paper leak case, Himachal Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu on Tuesday directed the special investigation team (SIT) to probe the involvement of cops.

The DGP said, “To take the probe into the constable recruitment examination to a logical conclusion, it has been decided that the SIT constituted for the purpose will also look into acts of commission (acts done) by police officers involved in the conduct of the examination.”

“There are three FIRs registered – one at Kangra, another at Solan and one with the crime investigation department – and the SIT will probe the role of police officers in all three,” he said.

A board comprising inspector general (communication and technical services), deputy inspector general (DIG, police training) and deputy controller (finance and accounts) will look into the acts of omission (failure to act), if any, by police officers involved in the constable recruitment exam.

The SIT had earlier sent a set of separate questionnaires to the police recruitment board chairperson, inspector general of police (IGP) JP Singh and the other members comprising the question paper setting committee and question paper printing committee. The committees have four members each.

The state’s home department had notified the revised Himachal Pradesh Police Department Recruitment (Recruitment of Constable Rules) in 2021, providing for constitution of the Himachal Pradesh Police Recruitment

Board and initiation of the online process for inviting applications.

The board comprised an additional director general of police (armed police and training), all inspectors general (IGs range, welfare and administration) and deputy inspectors general (DIGs, range).

The board was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising the recruitment process. At district level, the recruitment committee was headed by range IGs and DIGs. It comprised one commandant of the state police battalion nominated by the DIG or superintendents of police (SPs) of the districts concerned and one medical officer nominated by the chief medical officer.

The SIT on July 1 had filed a chargesheet against 91 accused involved in the paper-leak racket in the court of the Kangra chief judicial magistrate.

Seventy candidates, 20 middlemen and the father of a candidate were named in the charge sheet.

From history sheeters to an engineer, cricket organiser, transporter, railway clerk, and income tax officer, around 171 people from different walks of life have been arrested in the Himachal Pradesh constable recruitment case so far.

Among them, 116 were candidates, nine were fathers of candidates, and 46 were agents, of which 21 were from the hill state.

The accused were arrested under Sections 420 (cheating), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence or proving false information) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The police claim it is the biggest paper leak scam in the country.

Interstate gangs were involved in the paper leak. Their network was spread across 10 states, including Punjab, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Bihar, UP, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan. As per call records, three interstate gangs from Bihar, UP and Haryana were working in tandem to sell solved question papers through a vast network of agents.