Uttarakhand recruitment scam: Former UKSSSC chairman, exam controller, secretary arrested

NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown on officials involved in the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC) recruitment scam, the commission's former chairman RBS Rawat, secretary Manohar Kanyal and former examination controller RS Pokhriya were arrested on Saturday by the Special Task Force investigating the case.

The arrests were made in connection with the irregularities in the examinations conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission in 2016 for the recruitment of village panchayat development officers. It is the biggest action taken so far by the STF against former UKSSSC officials involved in the scam. "Today's action sets a precedent that will deter anyone from indulging in such irregularities in future.

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The government and the investigating agencies are working to ensure that those harming the interests of the youths and genuine candidates are not spared and recruitment examinations in future are held with transparency," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said. The examinations for the recruitment of VPDOs were held by the UKSSSC on March 6, 2016 across 236 centres in 13 districts and the results announced on March 30. A panel headed by the then additional chief secretary had been set up in 2017 to probe the alleged irregularities committed in the examinations.

On the basis of the probe committee's report the examinations were cancelled and the matter was handed over to the Vigilance Establishment, Dehradun in 2019. A case was registered by the Vigilance Establishment under Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the irregularities and investigation. Dhami had handed over the case to the STF in August to speed up investigations and bring the guilty to book. During the investigations, manipulation of the OMR sheets was detected by the STF which also recorded the statements of 24 candidates and important witnesses.