CBI searches 37 locations in RS Pura, Reasi

New Delhi, February 3

The CBI today conducted searches at 37 locations in six districts of Jammu and Kashmir in connection with alleged irregularities in the recruitment exam of accounts assistants in the Finance Department held on March 6, 2022.

The CBI sleuths swooped down at the premises of middlemen and other accused at 30 locations in Jammu in RS Pura, Karan Bangh and several other areas on Friday morning, said officials, adding that the operation was conducted in other districts, including Udhampur, Rajouri, Reasi and Doda.

Irregularities in recruitment exam

• Searches were conducted at premises of the accused, including personnel of the J&K Forest Department, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Indian Air Force
• The CBI had registered a case in November 2022 over irregularities in the exam conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board
• The results showed that a high percentage of selected candidates were from Jammu, Kathua and Reasi

The premises of several touts who helped candidates in the selection process were searched during the operation, officials said.

The CBI registered a case in November 2022 over alleged irregularities in the examination conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), officials said.

It has booked 20 people in the case, including Neelam Khajuria, a former member of JKSSB, section officer Anju Raina, and Karnail Singh, who was then a medical officer of the BSF frontier headquarters and also an accused in the J&K Police Sub-Inspector recruitment examination scam case.

The examination was conducted by the board on March 6, 2022, and its results were published on April 21 that year.

The results showed a high percentage of selected candidates were from the districts of Jammu, Kathua and Reasi, leading to allegations of paper leak and other irregularities, officials said.

“There were allegations regarding malpractices in the examination and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir constituted an inquiry committee to look into the same.

“The report of the committee revealed the alleged conspiracy among officials of the JKSSB, a Bengaluru-based company, beneficiary candidates and others causing gross irregularities in the conduct of the said examination,” the CBI spokesperson had said after the FIR was filed on November 28.

It was also alleged that the JKSSB violated rules in assigning the task of setting question paper to the Bengaluru-based firm.