The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested an absconding operator-cum-director of the examination-conducting agency in connection with the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Junior Engineer paper leak case, four years after the examination was cancelled, said officials on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Arun Kumar, a resident of Nalanda district in Bihar. Kumar was arrested in Mumbai on August 10 and was subsequently sent to judicial custody.
The arrest in the 2022 paper leak case came amid ongoing protests by students and aspirants since July 25 in Ranchi, demanding transparency in recruitment examinations, reforms in the functioning of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), cancellation of examinations and a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.
JSSC Junior Engineer exam was cancelled in 2022
The Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) had conducted a competitive examination for 2,279 posts of Junior Engineer (Diploma) on July 3, 2022. On the day of the examination, the answer key went viral, and the paper leak came to light even before the first shift of the examination began.
Considering the sensitivity of the matter, the JSSC cancelled the examination. Based on a written complaint filed by candidate Mithilesh Kumar Mahto, an FIR was registered at Namkum police station on July 14, 2022, under Sections 420, 467, 468 and 120(B) of the IPC, Section 66 of the IT Act, and Section 10 of the Bihar Examination Conduct Act. An SIT was constituted for a detailed and effective investigation.
During the investigation, the paper leak was confirmed. It was found that the examination was conducted by Bynsis Technology Pvt Ltd, an examination-conducting agency based in New Delhi. Evidence also emerged regarding the alleged involvement of the examination agency and its operator in the paper-leak syndicate, through which candidates in Patna were allegedly made to memorise the questions and answers.
Four people were arrested earlier
Candidate and accused Ranjit Mandal, syndicate members Deepak Kumar, Abhishek Kumar and Deepak Srivastava, and Krishna Kumar, a senior manager of the examination-conducting agency, had earlier been sent to judicial custody in connection with the case.
Raids are continuing at various locations to arrest other identified and absconding accused allegedly involved in the case.
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