Dehradun, 8 Oct: The single member judicial commission headed by Justice (Retd) UC Dhyani today held a public hearing at the IRDT Auditorium in Survey Chowk here in connection with the paper leak case involving the UKSSSC examination. It may be reminded here that the judicial commission headed by Justice (Retd) UC Dhyani is probing complaints and facts from all concerned parties. Prior to this, the commission had already held similar hearings in Haldwani and Tehri districts to collect inputs from local stakeholders.
The hearing in Dehradun drew citizens, complainants and aspirants, who were invited to present their grievances and submit evidence. The hearing is part of the commission’s effort to ensure transparency in the investigation of the alleged paper leak in the UKSSSC examination held on 21 September. It may be recalled that in that examination, three pages of the question paper surfaced on social media while the test was still underway, sparking widespread outrage among candidates.
After the leak allegations emerged, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and simultaneously appointed a judicial commission under Justice Dhyani to examine the matter. During the protests by youth and unemployed persons, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had recommended that the case be referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in order to ensure public faith in the investigation process. Central approval for the CBI inquiry is still awaited.
During the hearing in Dehradun, many candidates and coaching centre operators participated in the dialogue, during which they shared their concerns and put forward their views. Several candidates demanded the cancellation of the UKSSSC paper conducted on 21 September. In Dehradun, interactions were held with candidates and coaching centre operators to listen to their suggestions and grievances. The Commission’s Secretary Vikram Singh Rana claimed that the Commission is making every effort to prepare its report at the earliest and submit it to the government. For this purpose, public hearings will soon be conducted in other districts as well.
Today, the commission recorded statements from complainants, aspirants and witnesses, and examined documents submitted in support of allegations against examination officials, intermediaries and others. Those present urged swift and impartial action and demanded safeguards to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
Sources claimed that the commission is expected to include forensic scrutiny of the digital trail, cross-examination of examination centre officials and coordination with the SIT. The state government has maintained that strict action will be taken against those found guilty and has affirmed its willingness to support a CBI probe should the commission so recommend. Meanwhile, the UKSSSC has postponed the next scheduled examination until the investigation is completed, and new security protocols have been announced to prevent future malpractices.
