Dehradun, 24 Sep: Since early morning it was being speculated in the media that the government may announce a special probe in the alleged question paper leak related to a competitive exam conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC), last Sunday. It would be carried out by a Special Investigation Team whose probe would be monitored by a retired High Court judge. This was finally confirmed this evening by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan.
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, addressing media persons at his office in the Secretariat here this evening, shared that for the state government the transparency and integrity of the examination system and the interests of candidates are of paramount importance. He announced that an SIT, headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police, would be constituted to investigate the complaints that arose from the examination conducted on Sunday. The jurisdiction of the SIT will extend across the state.
Significantly, the Chief Secretary also added that a retired High Court judge will supervise the SIT’s inquiry to ensure impartiality. Both, the SIT and the retired judge will visit all the districts, and any individual with facts or information related to the examination may provide the same to them. The inquiry is to be completed within one month, and until then, the Commission will not take further action regarding the examination.
Bardhan asserted that stringent action would be taken against those found guilty in the SIT’s investigation, and necessary measures would be introduced to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Firm action will also be initiated against anyone found negligent at the Haridwar examination centre, which has emerged as the focal point of the controversy. He reiterated that the government places the interests of students above all else and further asserted that it is equally important to safeguard the trust of students and the public in the fairness of the examination system.
It may be recalled that the preliminary investigations so far have revealed that the leak originated from Adarsh Bal Sadan Inter College, Bahadrabad, in Haridwar, where an examinee Khalid allegedly transmitted three pages of the question paper to his sister Sabia, who then passed them to Professor Suman Chauhan. Khalid was seated in room number 9, one of three rooms at the centre that lacked mobile jammers, while 15 jammers were installed across the remaining classrooms. Khalid and his sisters are now in police custody, though his mobile phone remains missing. Investigators believe the device could reveal further details about the conspiracy. Khalid had initially fled to Lucknow following the incident but was apprehended from Haridwar on his return.
