Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration is expected to come down heavily on the officers involved in the conduct of Sub Inspectors’ written examination as the paper was allegedly leaked in Jalandhar and first sold in a library in Akhnoor area of Jammu.
As the recruitment list was recently canceled by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the probe was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) even as the Crime Branch which too had sought permission for registration of First Information Report (FIR) in the scam, so far it has been established that the paper was leaked in Jalandhar and sold initially for Rs 15 lakh followed by as low as Rs 10,000, Daily Excelsior reported quoting sources.
The report quoting the sources further said that the administration is likely to initiate action against the officers who failed to fulfill their duties of maintaining the secrecy of the exam and ensuring that it was successfully completed. Action will help the CBI initiate free, fair, and independent probe into the scam after the registration of the FIR.
A view of the sea
“The CBI headquarters, as well as the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), have cleared the probe recommended by the Jammu and Kashmir and the CBI is expected to lodge the FIR anytime this week,” the report quoted the source as saying.
The report said that the Crime Branch had also initiated preliminary investigations into the Sub Inspectors recruitment scam, the paper for which was conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB) through a recruitment agency.
After gathering enough evidence, the Crime Branch had sought permission for registration of the FIR but by that time the Inquiry Committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Home RK Goyal submitted its report and the Government cancelled the exam and recommended the CBI inquiry, the report claimed.
The report said that Crime Branch has established that paper was leaked in Jalandhar and first sold in a library at Akhnoor. A retired CRPF jawan from Akhnoor with the help of retired Commandant first sold the paper for Rs 15 lakh and then the rate started coming down. The rates were at the last stage reduced to Rs 10,000.
A journalist was also involved in the scam as he too managed to get the leaked paper and shared Answer Key through WhatsApp, the report said.
“All those studying in the Library cleared the examination. The question paper was then sold to youths and there were multiple families whose kin en bloc were through,” the report said quoting the source.
However, it was yet to be ascertained as to which level the paper was leaked, they said, adding this as well as other aspects now will be probed by the CBI.
It was not only the Crime Branch, sources told Daily Excelsior that Jammu Police had also conducted investigations after uproar over exam and it was also close to lodge the FIR in the scam at Akhnoor.
As per the report, the Local officers in Akhnoor had brought the matter to the notice of their seniors but then they decided against lodging the FIR till high-level inquiry team headed by the Home Secretary submits reports. However, the administration then decided to hand over investigations to the CBI as the scam had its roots in other States also.
Earlier, Lieutenant Governor had ordered a probe by a high-level committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Home RK Goyal.
As the Committee confirmed irregularities in its report submitted to the Lieutenant Governor, the latter cancelled the examination and ordered CBI probe into the matter.
