Itanagar, Nov 4: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday conducted searches at 16 different places in Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh in an ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged leakage of question paper of the examination for an engineering post.
The Arunachal Pradesh government last week removed and suspended four members of Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC), two months after the reported leak of recruitment exam papers.
So far, 10 persons, including APPSC deputy secretary-cum-deputy controller of examination, have been arrested by the state police for their alleged involvement in the paper leak case.
The APPSC had conducted the examination for the post of Assistant Engineer (civil) on August 26 – 27.
A source said the CBI officials during the search have recovered incriminating documents, articles including counterfeit stamps of executive magistrate of Arunachal Pradesh, Executive Engineer, State Bank of India, Hard discs, pen drive among others.
The case has been lodged against Akhilesh Yadav, Jeju Institute, Itanagar, Papum Pare City, Arunachal Pradesh and unknown officials of APPSC.
Following the instructions of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, the state government recently handed over the case to the CBI, which also registered a case and a team of the central probe agency headed by a joint director visited Itanagar last week.
The Chief Minister had said the state government is determined to initiate the process of cleansing of APPSC in the larger interest of the people of the state.
The state government, from day one, has made its intentions very clear for overhauling the entire APPSC and conducting the examinations for various posts in a free, fair and transparent manner, Kandu had said.
The Chairman of the APPSC, Nipo Nabam, had resigned on October 14 “owning moral responsibility for the omissions and commissions of the officer of the commission” who was responsible for ensuring secrecy and preventing leakage of question papers.
Many organisations, including the Anti-Corruption Foundation, have been demanding the suspension of the APPSC Chairman, Secretary and other officials for the reported leak of question paper ahead of the recent examination for the post of assistant engineer (civil).
They have also demanded a “transparent” probe into the alleged leak.
On August 28, a candidate for the examination lodged an FIR at the Itanagar police station, complaining that the question papers for the APPSC were leaked.
