Accused admits to helping candidates clear exams

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 7

The main accused in constable recruitment scam has spilled beans and admitted to helping candidates in other tests conducted for recruitment in other government departments also.

Sources in the police department told The Tribune that Vikram Chaudhary, main accused in the case who surrendered before police on January 5, has revealed before police that he had helped candidates clear written examinations conducted for recruitment of forest guard and jail wardens. The revelation made by the main accused is likely to lead police to some candidates who have already joined government service using unfair means that were offered by the main accused in constable recruitment scam.

SP Kangra, Vimukt Ranjan, when contacted, refused to comment on the revelations. He said that interrogation of the main accused was still being carried out and police would reveal the facts that come out it in due course of time.

Sources said that investigations into the constable recruitment scam might lead police to similar fraud in other recruitments carried out in government departments in the last few years.

The police have arrested 30 accused in the case. Those arrested include imposters from UP, Haryana, Himachal and Rajasthan, the candidates who hired the services of main accused and their parents who allegedly paid up for services.

The sources here said that the main accused was carrying out his operations of helping candidates pass entrance examinations for various government services for the past about 7 to 8 years. He might be having accomplices in other states also through which the imposters were arranged.

The modus operandi of the accused in the constable recruitment was to hire imposters for giving examinations in place of candidates. The imposters used to carry technical gadgets such as cameras, blue tooth devices and speakers into examination centres and might have been seeking help to solve the examinations from outside. The fact that the imposters were sure of getting into the examination centres indicates that the main accused might be having some support in the staff that was conducting examinations.

During the stint of the previous Congress government many recruitments, like KCC bank recruitment examination was carried out by the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. The BJP then in opposition had alleged fraud in recruitments.

The BJP had even included the charge in its charge sheet filed against previous government. However, after coming to power, the party had not done anything to probe the recruitment. Some police officials feel that main accused in constable recruitment might be having role in recruitments carried out during the stint of previous Congress government also.

The SP said that anyone found guilty during the course of investigation would not be spared.

Modus operandi

• The modus operandi of accused Vikram Chaudhary  in the constable recruitment was to hire imposters for giving examinations in place of candidates.
• The imposters used to carry technical gadgets such as cameras, blue tooth devices and speakers into examination centres and might have been seeking help to solve the examinations from outside.
• The fact that the imposters were sure of getting into the examination centres indicates that the main accused might be having some support in the staff that was conducting examinations.
• The sources said the main accused was carrying out his operations of helping candidates pass entrance examinations for various government services for the past 7 to 8 years.