Junior Assistant paper leaked in Hamirpur, six arrested

Dinesh Kanwar

Hamirpur, December 23

The question paper of the Junior Office Assistant (IT) exam to be conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) was reportedly leaked in Hamirpur today.

A team of the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested six persons — a woman posted as senior office assistant in the secrecy branch of the HPSSC, her son, a tout and three candidates, who had allegedly purchased the question paper.

Meanwhile, the HPSSC cancelled the examination scheduled to be held on December 25.

Candidates saved from harassment

The CM has said the govt will ensure that all exams and tests are conducted in a transparent manner by various agencies. It’s a breakthrough that the paper leak scam has been exposed before the JOA (IT) exam took place and candidates have been saved from harassment. —Naresh Chauhan, Principal Adviser (media) to the CM

Sources said that the Vigilance Bureau acted on a complaint that the JOA (IT) paper was being sold for Rs 2.5 lakh. The accused HPSSC woman employee’s son allegedly asked the complainant to come to their residence in the Housing Board Colony here along with tout Sanjay, alias Sanjeev, and bring Rs 2.5 lakh. However, the Vigilance team led by Additional SP Renu Sharma arrested the accused HPSSC official and five others from her residence and seized Rs 2.5 lakh and the question paper.

This is second time that the HPSSC is in news for a bad reason. In 2003, the commission, then a board, was raided after the government changed in the state and the then Chairman of the board was booked for various irregularities.

Sanjay Thakur, Chairman of the HPSSC, said that following the question paper leak the commission cancelled the JOA (IT) exam scheduled for December 25. He added that a new date would be announced later.

Satwant Atwal, ADGP, said that a woman official of the HPSSC, her son, tout Sanjay, alias Sanjeev, and three candidates, who had bought the leaked question paper, had been arrested. She added that investigation would continue to find out whether other candidates had also bought the question paper. Two of the arrested candidates had made online payments for the question paper.

It has been learnt that the question paper leaked to candidates was solved, as there were only two days left for the examination. Sources in the Vigilance Bureau revealed that the leaked question paper was similar to the paper that was be given to the candidates on December 25.

The ADGP, Vigilance, confirmed that the leaked question paper was the same as the one kept in the strongroom of the HPSSC.