The BJP leaders – Mukesh Chaudhary and Manohar Pate – have been suspended from the party. (Representational) The BJP leaders – Mukesh Chaudhary and Manohar Pate – have been suspended from the party. (Representational)

A day after the recruitment exam of Gujarat police constables was cancelled following reports of paper leak, four persons including two BJP leaders were arrested. Police said that primary investigation has revealed that the paper was leaked from Delhi and the person who got the paper has also been identified.

The examination was called off hours before it was scheduled to start after it came to light that the question paper was leaked. An FIR was lodged with a Gandhinagar police station. The complaint was filed by Superintendent of Police, CID (crime), Virendra Singh Yadav, who is also a member of the recruitment board.

The FIR mentions names of Yashpalsinh Jasvantsinh Solanki, Rupal Sharma, BJP leaders Manhar Ranchodbhai Patel and Mukesh Muljibhai Chaudhary, and police officer P V Patel. A party spokesperson said that both the leaders have been suspended in accordance with the “information provided by the state president Jitu Vaghani.” Except for Yashpal, all the four have been arrested. According to Superintendent of Police, Gandhinagar, Mayur Chavda Yashpal was in Delhi between November 29 and November 30 from where he got the question papers. He flew back to Vadodara by air on December 1.

The FIR states that during questioning, Manhar informed the police that “he was handed over answer-sheet of questions by Yashpal who works with Vadodara municipality on contract basis.” According to Manhar’s statement before the police, “Yashpal had promised him that he will deliver the answer-sheet on payment of Rs. 5 lakh per candidate.”

According to the FIR, another accused Rupal Sharma allegedly got the answer sheet for herself and also for the purpose of selling it to others at her hostel. Around 7 to 9 persons had visited her hostel on Sunday morning hours before the exam, the police said. The FIR states that the other accused police officer P V Patel had “obtained the answer sheet for two of his relatives.” While Mukesh Chaudhary also “obtained answer sheet for himself and two other candidates.”

“The question paper for written examination for recruitment of Class-III employees for Gujarat Police was illegally obtained by the candidates/examinees and others with an intention to cheat and obtain employment. This act was facilitated by Police Sub-Inspector, who is an employee of Government of Gujarat and deployed for biometric verification, with the intention to obtain illegal monetary benefit and thus committed criminal breach of trust. The said illegal acts were committed as part of a pre-planned conspiracy by the persons named herein-above and other unknown persons,” reads the FIR.

Chavda said that DGP Shivanand Jha has ordered Gujarat ATS and Ahmedabad Crime Branch to assist in the investigation.

On Sunday, 8.75 lakh candidates were to appear in the written examination for Lok Rakshak Dal at 29,000 classrooms in 2,440 exam centres in the state. Following the reports of leak, the recruitment board cancelled the examination which led to major embarrassment for the state government.

While Vijay Rupani directed the state Home department to take immediate action, Congress demanded a SIT probe under a sitting high court judge while alleging that “people of the ruling party” are behind the incident.

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