First time in the history that highly prestigious examination's paper is leaked; STF had picked up two suspects
Whatsapp may be good for teen friendship, courting or just to keep in touch. But, examination mafias operating in UP on Sunday used the hugely popular social networking app as a criminal device to sell the preliminary examination paper of the UP Public Service Commission for a whopping sum of Rs 5lakh per candidate.
This is the first time in the history of this highly prestigious organisation, responsible for the recruitment to the state's top provincial services, that an examination paper has been leaked.
How did this happen?
The lid was blown off the leak, just 15 minutes before the examination was scheduled to start at 9.30 am, on Sunday. Word about the leak–discovered at a centre at Thakurganj locality of Lucknow – went viral immediately – ironically enough, mostly through Whatsapp.
While the officials dithered on what to do next, the diligent ones among the candidates kept writing their paper. It was only when they emerged from the examination halls that they were told of the authorities' decision that the examination had been cancelled.
What was the reaction?
As the second paper of the day was shelved, students who had been preparing for over an year or, may be, years, and who had written their examination in the first paper with complete diligence, went berserk at several places. They burnt effigies of the UPPSC Chairman Anil Yadav outside the examination centres at Allahabad, where the UPPSC HQ is located, Varanasi, Kanpur, Lucknow and in some other districts across the state. Police had a tough time controlling the angered candidates who reportedly damaged several government vehicles at some places.
What are the authorities saying now?
UP DGP AK Jain told dna, "We have cancelled the examination. Those who are responsible will be hunted down soon and punished. The question paper was being distributed on WhatsApp."
He said the police had initial information of the leak and had put some mobiles on surveillance. He said the STF had been pressed into service. "This is an organised racket, and we will book them under Gangster Act, too, besides the relevant IPC provisions," he added.
By evening, sources said, the STF had picked up two suspects and they were being interrogated. The sources also informed that a Haryana-based gang could be involved.
Who is Anil Yadav?
The UPPSC chairman has had a chequered record as all examinations conducted since he took over last year have been surrounded by one controversy or the other. The Allahabad High Court has, in fact, asked him to explain his conduct in a case where all rules and norms were allegedly thrown to the wind to ensure mass recruitment of one particular backward caste in the reserved quota. He is known to be close to the ruling political masters who, incidentally, also happen to be Yadavs.
Earlier leaks in prestigious examinations in UP
22-06-2014 – CPMT cancelled after paper is leaked
02-11-2014 – SSC examination put off after paper leak
30-11-2014 – RRB examination cancelled after similar leak
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