Thane police on arrested three more persons in the sensational Army recruitment paper leak case.
Thane police on Monday arrested three more persons in the sensational Army recruitment paper leak case. The total number of persons arrested in the case has gone up to 21, including serving Border Security Force (BSF) constable and few Indian Army personnel. One of the persons arrested in the case was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a similar paper leak case in 2014.
Some of the arrested persons have been identified as ex-CRPF officer Jaikumar Belkhede, 31, BSF Constable Ranjeet Jadhav, 27, ex-honorary Captain of Indian Army Subhash Nirmale, 50, Lance Naik Mahendra Sonawane, 31, ex-army man Ramappa Patoli, 48 and Ravikumar, a clerk from the Army Recruitment Service Board. The arrested 21 persons were remanded to police custody till February 4 by the court.
Belkhede who is believed to be the mastermind in the paper leak case also runs Tango Charlie Academy in Katol of Nagpur and Nirmale is also owner of Captain Subhash Nirmale Career Academy. Belkhede was arrested by the Mumbai Unit of CBI in February 2014 in a similar army recruitment paper leak case, police said.
During that time the modus-operandi was to provide the question papers to the aspirants through phones. The racket was then busted when the students were writing the army recruitment board exams in centres at Nagpur, police said, adding that after the raid and the arrest of Belkhede the other coaching centres like Captain Subhash Nirmale Career Academy, Nashikkar career academy came together and changed their modus-operandi by providing the question papers before exams at party halls, hotel rooms and lodges.
The aspirants paid Rs 3 to 4 lakhs after getting selected in the physical test to appear for the written exams. The Thane police have revealed that papers of SRPF Police Entrance exams and various other state and national level competitive exams were being leaked by these coaching classes, police said.
"After the previous raid, they became alert and now they had started picking up the aspirants from pre-decided spots and bring them together at a place where their cell phones were seized and their original documents were kept as surety to ensure that there is no further leak. The aspirants were then given question papers and were told how to solve it. Students were kept inside a locked room and were only let off at the time of examinations. The students would simply go to the examination centres and solve the papers which they were given few hours ago. After the money is received and results are out the original documents would be handed over to the aspirants,” said an officer.
The raid which was carried out in three places at Pune, Nagpur and Goa led to the apprehension of 350 students who were found writing the exams and were memorising the answers.
Parag Manere, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Crime Branch said, "This was an organised syndicate which was run by the coaching classes with the help from an insider of the Indian Army's recruitment board and this was not the first time they had leaked papers and took money from the aspirants to crack it."
Those arrested have been booked under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, sections of Information Technology Act and Prevention of Corruption Act, said Manere.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Accused involved in army recruitment leaked exam papers were arrested by Thane Crime Branch")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}