Another paper leak claim rocks Uttarakhand, prohibitory orders issued in Dehradun

The Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission’s written examination for graduate-level posts in various departments started at 11 am on Sunday and would go on until 1 pm. However, Uttarakhand Swabhiman Morcha president Bobby Panwar alleged that by 11.30 am, the question paper had leaked. At 1.30 pm, Dehradun police claimed that “misleading posts were circulated on social media that the paper was leaked” and ruled out the involvement of any gangs.

The protest was led by Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh and Swabhiman Morcha, both made up of youths.

While Haridwar police took Panwar for questioning, the District Magistrate on Sunday night declared the enforcement of section 163 of the BNSS to prevent the assembly of five or more people at 12 locations in Dehradun. However, groups mobilised the youth and protested in various areas, including the Parade Ground, despite heavy police deployment. Panwar and Tribhuvan Chauhan, both known for having contested as Independents in Lok Sabha elections and Kedarnath bypolls last year and for their popularity on social media, led the protests.

Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya said that Hakam Singh Rawat, who was arrested on Saturday, was involved in several major paper leak cases. (PTI)

On Saturday, the Special Task Force and Dehradun police had arrested two people, Pankaj Gaur and Hakam Singh, for allegedly promising six aspirants that their success in the exam would be ensured in return for Rs 12-15 lakh. Singh had previously also been arrested in the 2021 UKSSSC paper leak.

Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh conducted a press conference at around 9.30 pm on Sunday and said an SIT had been constituted to look into the matter. The UKSSSC submitted an application seeking a probe.

Early morning WhatsApp message

As per the FIR registered in the matter, Suman, a professor at a college in Tehri Garhwal, received a WhatsApp message at 7.55 am on Sunday from the number of a man named Khalid Malik, who allegedly asked her to solve the test as his sister had to take the exam. Suman allegedly got three pages of the question paper at 11.35 am, and in 10 minutes, she sent back the answers to Khalid’s number, it is alleged in the FIR.

“After sending, Suman became suspicious whether any paper was actually scheduled that day. She called Bobby Panwar, without informing any authorised department, and at 12.28 pm, she sent the three pages along with the handwritten answers to him on WhatsApp. Panwar told her not to tell anyone about the matter,” said the FIR. The document further claimed that the papers were leaked during the examination and accused Panwar of maligning the examination.

“From preliminary inquiry, it appears that either cheating was facilitated in the said examination or that the intent was to sensationalise and malign the recruitment process. Clear determination of this is deemed appropriate through detailed investigation,” the FIR said, invoking sections 11(1), 11(2), and 12(2) of the Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment and Remedies) Act, 2023, against Khalid, his sisters Sabia and Hina, and Suman. SSP Singh alleged that the sisters had sent the question paper from Khalid’s number to Suman, and the incident was perpetrated by an individual, ruling out the involvement of any gangs.

Pressure on govt

Speaking to reporters, Panwar questioned the administration for failing to curb such incidents. “They are playing with the lives of the youth. We got the paper at 11.30 am, and we have to look into when the leak took place and if the paper was out before the exam started. We have given our inputs to the Haridwar police during questioning on how we got the tip-offs,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, Congress has accused the government of negligence. Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya said that Hakam Singh Rawat, who was arrested on Saturday, was involved in several major paper leak cases. “His name had come up in the 2021 SSSC exam, Forest Ranger recruitment, and Secretariat Guard recruitment. He was released on bail due to weak prosecution by the government, and his network remained active. The state’s biggest suspect in cheating and paper-selling rackets walked out of jail and immediately resumed the business of selling exam papers,” Arya alleged.

Reacting to this, BJP MLA Khajan Das said that in the past three years under the Pushkar Singh Dhami government, more than 25,000 appointments have been made. “However, the information that emerged regarding the exam held yesterday has been taken very seriously by the government. The investigation is ongoing, and at first glance, no evidence suggests a paper leak. Rather, someone deliberately sent screenshots of the question paper outside 35 minutes after the exam began,” he said.

From the homepage

How the Karur stampede unfolded and a big question: What next for Vijay?

Asia Cup, IND-PAK final: Beyond bitterness on field, a tale of two superfans Sudhir and Chacha – ‘Will end with a hug, no matter who wins’

Pakistan’s response to EAM Jaishankar an admission of longstanding practice of terrorism: India at UN