Ten more arrested over UP Board question paper leak

Ten more people were arrested on Friday in connection with the leak of class 12 English paper of the Uttar Pradesh secondary education board, police officials said.

They said the total number of arrests in the case had now gone up to 34 since Wednesday.

The officials said 17 people, including Ballia district inspector of schools (DIoS) Brajesh Kumar Mishra and a local journalist were arrested on Wednesday, while seven others, including two other local journalists, were arrested on Thursday in this connection.

The class 12 English examination was cancelled in 24 districts on Wednesday after the paper was leaked. The exam will now be held on April 13 in the 24 districts, an official statement had said.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered stringent action, including invoking the National Security Act against the culprits.

Superintendent of police (SP), Ballia, RK Nayyar, said the alleged mastermind of the paper leak, identified as Mulayam Chauhan, and his three accomplices were arrested by a team of Nagra police station while six others, all alleged to be exam paper carriers, were arrested by a team of Sikanderpur police station.

Earlier, the police had lodged three separate FIRs at the Ballia city kotwali, Nagara and Sikandarpur police stations on Wednesday in this regard.

The official said all the accused were presented before the competent court and sent in 14-days judicial custody while further investigation in the case was underway.

Another official said the DIoS has been shifted to Azamgarh district jail while all other accused are lodged in Ballia district jail.

He said a team of special task force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police was camping in the district for investigation.