New Delhi:The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed a chargesheet against 24 accused persons, including then Commandant of BSF, then ASI and constables of J&K Police, then CRPF officials, teachers and other persons in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir Police Sub-Inspector (JKPSI) examination paper leak case.
The investigation was spread across several states involving analysis of voluminous technical data and examination of a large number of witnesses.
After registration of the case, searches were conducted at 77 places, including in J&K, Haryana, Delhi and Bengaluru at the premises of the accused persons, including certain officials of J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB).
Twenty persons were arrested and cash to the tune of Rs 61.79 lakh was recovered during the searches.
The CBI registered the case on August 3 on the request of J&K government against 33 accused persons, including then medical officer, BSF Frontier headquarters, Paloura, then member, then under secretary, then section officer of the JKSSB, a former CRPF personnel, one J&K Police ASI, owner of a coaching centre in Akhnoor, a private company based at Bengaluru, private persons and unknown others on the allegations of irregularities in written examination for the post of sub-inspectors in J&K Police conducted by JKSSB in March.
After the results were declared on June 4, there were allegations of malpractices in the examination and the J&K government had set up an inquiry committee to look into the same. It was alleged that the accused persons hatched a conspiracy involving officials of JKSSB, a Bengaluru-based private company, beneficiary candidates and others, and caused gross irregularities in the conduct of the written examination.
There was abnormally high percentage of selected candidates from Jammu, Rajouri and Samba districts. Violation of rules by the JKSSB was allegedly found in assigning the task of setting question paper to Bengaluru-based private company.
Searches were conducted on August 5 at 30 locations of the accused persons, including in Jammu, Srinagar and Bengaluru.
Investigation has revealed alleged payment of Rs 20-30 lakh was made by the willing candidates and their families to the accused persons for accessing the question paper before the commencement of the examination. In this regard, the involvement of a gang domiciled in Haryana, certain teachers of J&K, some serving/retired personnel of CRPF, J&K Police and JKSSB had come to light.
(IANS)
