Ex-Naval commander, coaching centre owner found guilty in 2010 Navy paper leak case; sentenced to three year jail

In September 2010, CBI officials claimed to have received information that the question paper for the examination for the post of lower division clerks and stenographers, was compromised. The CBI claimed it had information that some of the aspirants were being tutored at a lodge in Mumbai, with questions and answers being provided to them before the examination. Accordingly, a raid was conducted at United Lodge on September 25-26, 2010. The CBI claimed to have seized documents including the question paper and answers noted by the candidates.

The CBI said that the Western Naval Command had put out an advertisement in February 2010 about the examination to be held and a Board of Examination was formed. It was headed by Saini to conduct the exams, including setting the papers. Saini had set the question paper and it was supplied to Rawat, who was the owner of Manasa International in Visakhapatnam, a coaching centre, the CBI had alleged.

Special public prosecutor Sandeep Singh submitted before the court that Saini chose a printing agency based in Pune to print the papers without calling for quotations or consulting other members. It was also alleged that Saini had asked other members of the board to suggest questions but had drawn the final questions himself. Saini allegedly travelled to Pune with administrative officer Ram Naik to Atharva Consultancy press in September 2010, where the paper was allegedly printed. The CBI also claimed that the papers were handed over to Vilas Thakur, the owner of the printing firm, with instructions to hand them over to Rawat. Thakur died during the probe.

“On going through the evidence of these witnesses in totality, it precipitates that the question papers were in the exclusive knowledge and custody of the accused No. 5 (Saini) from the point of setting them up and carrying the same in a pen drive up to to Pune for getting them printed. Being the President of the Board he was responsible for the confidentiality of the question papers,” the court said.

It said that evidence showed that after the papers were printed, they were kept in boxes and brought to Mumbai in Saini and Naik’s custody. The court said that it was proven that the papers were in the custody of Saini throughout and there was no possibility of it being copied or otherwise disclosed to anyone as he was present during the printing.

The court said that the evidence also showed that the papers found at the coaching centre and the lodge with the candidates was the same set by Saini.

In his defence, Saini had claimed he was a dedicated Navy officer for 36 years and had an unblemished service record. He had also said that he was cleared in the departmental inquiry. The court said that this cannot be a ground for acquittal in a criminal case. Rawat also denied he had access to the question paper, stating that the candidates were only being prepared on the most likely questions, a common practice at coaching centres. The court, however, said that the chain of evidence showed their involvement.