The police has reportedly arrested four persons on Monday, December 3, for leaking the exam paper of Gujarat police constables recruitment that had to be cancelled on Sunday.
Two Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) workers – Mukesh Muljibhai Chaudhary and Manhar Ranchodbhai Patel — are among the four people arrested. The FIR also mentions Yashpal Solanki, Rupal Sharma, and police officer P V Patel. Yashpal Solanki, a Vadodra municipality worker, is yet to be arrested, reported The Indian Express.
Manhar Patel was a BJP worker from Bayad taluka in Arvalli district while Chaudhary was an elected member of Vadgam taluka panchayat of Banaskantha.
“As per their plan, Manhar Patel, Chaudhary, Sharma and eight to ten other candidates gathered at Sharma’s hostel on Sunday morning to discuss the leaked questions. After going through the answers, they all dispersed,” Gandhinagar Superintendent of POlice, Mayur Chavda told PTI.
He said sub-inspector V P Patel, who knew Manhar Patel, also wanted the answers for some candidates who were appearing for the exam. The sub-inspector has been suspended following his arrest, he added.
According to the police, BJP worker Manhar Patel said during questioning that he was provided the answer-sheet of questions by Solanki. The police also told IE that “Yashpal had promised him (Manhar) that he will deliver the answer-sheet on payment of Rs. 5 lakh per candidate.”
After the names of the two BJP workers cropped up in connection with the offence, the state party unit chief Jitu Vaghani issued a statement saying that both of them have been suspended from the party.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that no money was paid to anyone for leaking the question paper, however, things will be clear after Solanki’s arrest, Chavda said.
The exam was cancelled hours before it was scheduled to commence after authorities learnt that the paper had got leaked, an official said.
As many as 875,000 candidates were scheduled to appear for the exam which was to start at 3pm Sunday in 2,440 centres across Gujarat, the official said.
The examination was called off hours before the test was scheduled to start after it came to light that the question paper was leaked, said Vikas Sahay, chairman of the Lokrakshak Recruitment Board, the body that conducts the examination.
“Somebody sent me a list of answers, and they were answers to the questions set for the examination. We called off the examination as it was clear that the paper had been leaked,” Sahay said, adding that a police probe would be instituted into the issue.
“The BJP government is playing with the future of Gujarat’s youth. This government has no right to stay in power if it cannot even conduct an examination without engaging in corruption,” Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi had said.
(With PTI inputs)