HPSSC: Two more arrested in JOA IT paper leak case

HAMIRPUR: The Vigilance department has arrested two more people in the JOA (IT) paper leak case, including another son of the main accused, Uma Azad, an HPSSC employee, authorities said on Saturday.

So far, eight people have been arrested in the matter, of which Nikhil Azad, Neeraj, Ajay Sharma, and Tanu Sharma are in judicial custody. Police arrested Nitin Azad and Shashi Pal late Friday night. Nitin and Nikhil, both, are sons of Uma Azad – a senior assistant at the HP staff selection commission, and the mastermind behind the paper leak.

Also Read | JOA IT Paper Leak: HPSSC employee among six arrested for leaking exam in Himachal Pradesh

Shashi Pal is a brother of Sanjeev, a tout, who acted as a middleman between Azad and the potential buyers. The two people were arrested were made late Friday night after their names came up during interrogation with Azad and Sanjeev, an official of the Vigilance department said on Saturday. The department had arrested six people, including Uma Azad, on December 24, a day before the exam was slated to take place.

The arrests were made after the department was tipped off about a tout offering solved question papers for JOA (IT) exam for Rs 2.5 lakh. Solved question papers, Rs 2.5 lakh in cash, a laptop, and some other documents were recovered from Uma Azad’s house during her arrest. Meanwhile, the Vigilance bureau on Friday continued to grill Titendra Kanwar, the former Secretary of the Commission. The sleuths also searched his safe and took several documents in custody.

The state government had on Monday suspended the functioning of the HPSSC and postponed all examinations which were to be held in near future after the Junior Office Assitant (IT) exam paper was leaked. It stated that it appears that the commission has not discharged its duties and responsibilities objectively and its credibility has been eroded.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the DIG G Sivakumar has been constituted to conduct an enquiry into alleged malpractice even in past exams conducted by the HPSSC. The employees of the commission are under scanner as question papers of examinations of junior auditor and computer operators which were to be held were also recovered from Azad's house.