APPSC exam paper leak: 5 officials suspended

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh government on Saturday put five officials of the public service commission under suspension with immediate effect for their alleged involvement in the question paper leak in an examination conducted by it.

In an order, Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) Secretary D Verma also directed that disciplinary proceedings be initiated against them. Verma instructed the officials not to leave the state capital Itanagar till the order is in force. It was alleged that the five were involved in leaking the question paper in the assistant engineer (civil) recruitment examination on August 26 and 27.

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The matter came to light two days later. The five include officials in the rank of deputy secretary, joint secretary and under secretary of the establishment department of the AAPSC. The suspension order was issued on the direction of Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra.

The CBI has taken over the investigation into the matter and its sleuths have reached Itanagar. Earlier, the police arrested APPSC deputy secretary-cum-deputy controller of examination Taket Jerang along with nine others in connection with the paper leak. Jerang has been sent on retirement by the Commission. APPSC Chairman Nipo Nabam on October 14 resigned from his post owning moral responsibility for the incident. The paper leak came to light on August 29 after a written complaint was received by the police from a candidate of the recruitment examination.