Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday assured that strict action would be taken against all those involved in the alleged question paper leak of the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC) exam.
His statement came after the Uttarakhand Police arrested Khalid Malik, the main accused in the paper leak.
CM Dhami said the state government followed a policy of zero tolerance in such matters and would not allow anyone to play with the future of the youth.
“The future of youth will not be allowed to be played with. Action will be taken against whoever is found to be guilty. We have a zero-tolerance policy...More than 100 cheating mafia members are already behind bars...One accused has been arrested here. All agencies are investigating it. All decisions will be taken that are right and in the interest of students,” Dhami told reporters.
On Tuesday, the police had arrested Khalid Malik, who was wanted in the case. Earlier, his sister was also taken into custody.
SSP Dehradun Ajay Singh said details would be shared only after a full interrogation. He confirmed that an investigation was underway to find out how the paper was leaked and whether it was part of a bigger conspiracy.
“The initial investigation suggests a conspiracy angle, so a statement on this matter would be appropriate only after a detailed interrogation. However, as of now, he has been taken into custody, as he is wanted in this case. Furthermore, the most important thing was to determine whether there was a well-planned conspiracy. The second question was whether there was an organised gang involved in the paper leak,” the SSP added.
"I would like to clarify that there was no organised gang involved, and I believe this was done by an individual or a group of individuals. We are investigating it from both angles. One is from the conspiracy angle, and the second is how he leaked the twelve questions of the paper. The investigation is still on, the interrogation is still going on, so we will be able to give detailed information about it later...His sister has also been sent to judicial custody...The investigation is ongoing..." the official added.
Three pages of the undergraduate exam question paper, held on Sunday for various departments, had surfaced on social media.
Investigating officer and Rishikesh SP Jaya Baluni said evidence shows Khalid brought a device to the exam centre at Adarsh Bal Sadan Inter College in Bahadurpur Jat village, Pathri area, photographed three pages of the paper, and sent them to his mobile, which was in Sabia’s possession.
Sabia then allegedly sent the photos to Suman, an assistant professor in Tehri, and received the answers to help Khalid cheat. “Considering her role, she has been arrested,” Baluni said.
During Suman’s interrogation, the role of Khalid’s other sister, Hina, was also found suspicious, and the investigation is ongoing.
A case has been registered against four named and other unidentified individuals under the Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Prevention and Control of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Ordinance, 2023, at Raipur police station in Dehradun.
Baluni added that the exam centre was inspected on Monday, and the principal, exam room inspector, and those who installed the jammers were thoroughly questioned.
Screenshots of three pages of the graduate-level exam paper, conducted by the commission on September 21, went viral on social media, showing that the photos were taken shortly after the exam began.
Commission Chairman Ganesh Singh Martolia expressed shock at how the paper was leaked despite jammers being installed. Following public outrage, the commission filed a complaint with Dehradun police, who formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
Also Read: No gang behind UKSSSC exam paper leak: Police
Follow us
