APPSC Paper Leak: Arunachal home minister says probe on into all exams held since 2014

ITANAGAR: A probe by the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state police is underway into all the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) examinations conducted since 2014, Home Minister Bamang Felix said on Monday. Felix said 34 people, including 27 government employees, have been arrested by the SIC so far in these cases and action will be taken against them.

"The APPSC paper leak was not a mistake or a blunder, but a blatant attack on our trust and confidence in the system that shapes our future. A handful of selfish, greedy and mindless individuals, who were at the helm, played with our emotions and ruined the lives of thousands of youths," Felix, also the government spokesperson, told reporters here. "The departments concerned have been asked to update the status of departmental action against the suspended, arrested, compulsorily retired and dismissed officials and a consolidated report be placed before the cabinet and in the public domain," he said.

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Felix said the government has taken the paper leak as an opportunity to cleanse the system from its root. Felix said the government has adopted a two-pronged approach: a free, fair and just investigation to bring all involved to the book and initiate appropriate action against them, and put a robust standard operating procedure (SOP) in place to ensure that APPSC exams are fair in the future. "A draft SOP has been prepared by a committee for recommendation to the APPSC. Since APPSC is an autonomous body, therefore the state government can only recommend an SOP," he said.

Referring to the 12-hour bandh call given by the All Nyishi Students Union (ANSU) in the Capital Complex region on Tuesday, the home minister said he met the members of the union on Sunday at his official residence and apprised them of the action taken by the government on the issue. ANSU has given the bandh call over the paper leak case.

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The home minister urged the ANSU to withdraw its bandh call saying it would affect the people. The question paper leak of the assistant engineer (civil) examination, conducted by the APPSC, came to light after candidate Gyamar Padung filed a police complaint on August 29, claiming that he suspected that the examination paper had been leaked.

More than 400 candidates appeared for the examination held on August 26 and 27 this year. In October, the state government handed over the case to CBI. The central agency filed a chargesheet against 10 accused at the District and Sessions Court in Yupia near Itanagar on December 8. The case was initially investigated by the Capital Police and later transferred to the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state police. The state government had also ordered SIC probes into all exams conducted by the commission since 2014.