After steadfastly denying for days that the question paper of the December 12 head clerk exams had not leaked, the Gujarat Police have already picked up at least 11 people in what has emerged as a well-oiled paper leak scam. And several others are on the radar.
Even as this was the ninth government exam paper to have leaked in seven years, it is being asked if any such paper should be printed in Gujarat at all. There were over 88,000 examinees for 186 posts for this single exam. Official sources said the number of aspirants for all the nine State Government exams would be at least 10 times more. And, all were left in the lurch.
The investigation into the controversial head clerk paper leak case is throwing up new incriminating evidence every day. The Local Crime Branch and Sabarkantha Police have found that the paper was leaked at a printing press in Sanand and was sold for Rs 9 lakh. Eleven people have already been arrested in the case.
Giving details of the investigations, Gandhinagar Range IGP Abhay Chudasama told reporters that the key accused seemed to be one Jayesh Patel.
His name was revealed along with that of Deepak Patel, an ambulance driver in a hospital in Singarva. Jayesh had given Rs 7 lakh to Deepak which had been seized from him.
Deepak’s interrogation revealed that he received a copy of the question paper from Mangesh Sirke, brother at HCG Hospital at Mithakhali in Ahmedabad. When Mangesh was questioned, he disclosed that Kishore Acharya who works at a printing press in Sanand had given him the paper. Acharya, who ran the printing press, was found to have sold papers to Mangesh for Rs 9 lakh.
Chudasama conceded that no one from the Gujarat Subordinate Services Selection Board (GSSSB) has been called for investigation yet. Strict action would be taken against those involved in the racket, he added.
He also said an investigation was underway to find out whether any government employee or any political person was involved in the case.
The question paper of the Head Clerk Class-3 examination was conducted by the GSSSB on December 12. Against over 2 lakh applications, around 80,000 candidates appeared for the examination.
This was the ninth paper leak of various exams taken by the Board during the last seven years.
Read: After Eight Paper Leaks In 7 years, Gujarat Orders Police Probe Into 9th
Succumbing to a barrage of allegations by the opposition Aam Aadmi Party and Congress, the State government on December 15 ordered a police probe in the case.
Within two days of this, six persons allegedly involved in the paper leak were arrested on Friday. They include Mahesh K. Patel from Ahmedabad, Chintan P. Patel from Prantij, Dhruv B. Barot, Darsh K Vyas, Suresh Patel and Kuldip N Patel from Sabarkantha.
Police arrested another teacher, Kalpesh Patel, from Kheda along with one more accused. Preliminary information indicates that the arrested teacher is the husband of a police officer.
However, the kingpins of this scam, Jayesh Patel, Mahendra Patel, Satish Patel and Jaswant Patel, are yet to be arrested.
AAP Leader, Isudan Gadhvi in a tweet said, “One of the absconding accused came on the channel and said that even if I have a big head and sold papers for lakhs of rupees, the police can’t catch the big head or don’t want to catch it then? The paper will keep exploding!”
Not satisfied by the action, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which exposed the leak and forced police action, has demanded the sacking of GSSSB chairman Asit Vora, who is a BJP leader and former mayor of Ahmedabad.
