Question papers of exams held earlier also leaked: Himachal Pradesh CM

SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said that an enquiry has shown that the exam conducted by HP Staff Selection Commission, results of which are yet to be declared, were also leaked. "Papers of examinations conducted by Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission, results of which are yet to be declared, were also leaked as per the enquiry report," the CM said told reporters.

The forensic examination of electronic devices recovered by the Vigilance department investigating the Junior Office Assistant (Information Technology) paper leak case has indicated that the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission employees were involved in recruitment scams in the past too, an official had said earlier in the day.

The JOA (IT) exam scheduled for December 25 was cancelled after the paper leak was unearthed on December 23, 2022, when the Vigilance department arrested senior assistant of HPSSC Uma Azad with solved question paper and Rs 2.5 lakh in cash. The forensic experts found question papers, financial transactions, voice recordings and chats from mobile phones, laptops, hard drives and electronic documents recovered from personal gadgets of the people under scanner, which indicates that papers were leaked in the past also, an official told PTI requesting anonymity.

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Regional forensic laboratory, Dharamshala, the only forensic lab in the state recognised by the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology has screened 75 per cent of the devices and submitted the report to the investigation agencies probing the case. So far, eight people Uma Azad, her sons (Nikhil Azad and Nitin Azad), tout Sanjeev and his brother Shashi Pal, and Neeraj, Ajay Sharma, and Tanu Sharma have been arrested in the case.

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The state government had suspended the functioning of the HPSSC over the recruitment exam paper leak and postponed all exams scheduled to be held in near future, stating it appears that the commission has not discharged its duties and responsibilities objectively and its credibility has been eroded.

After the scam was unearthed, the Vigilance department received several complaints of irregularities in previous exams conducted by the HPSSC. The Vigilance department officers have said that enquiries have been initiated to further verify alleged malpractices in 10-20 exams held in the past.