By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 25 Sep: One day after the Sector Magistrate related to the exam centre in district Haridwar, from where the alleged leak of the paper happened, was suspended, the government has taken action against more officials. The Higher Education Department has taken stern action in connection with the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC) paper leak case. Assistant Professor Suman Chauhan, who had reportedly solved the leaked question paper, has been suspended after being found prima facie guilty of involvement in the leak with wrongful intent. In addition, 2 police officials who were on duty at the examination centre have also been suspended by SSP Haridwar for negligence.
It may be recalled that the UKSSSC graduate level examination was conducted on Sunday, 21 September, when three pages of the question paper were leaked from a centre in Haridwar while the examination was underway. A Sector Magistrate had already been suspended for negligence in supervising the centre, and now orders have been issued to suspend Assistant Professor Suman Chauhan as well.
Suman, a history teacher at the Government Post Graduate College in Agarauda, Tehri Garhwal, received photographs of the leaked question paper from a youth named Khalid, who had sent them out from the examination centre. Instead of alerting the authorities, she reportedly solved the paper and then forwarded it to Bobby Panwar with the intention of circulating it widely. An FIR has already been registered against her at Raipur police station.
During her suspension period, Suman has been attached to the Directorate of Higher Education, Haldwani. The suspension order notes that this is the third instance of unbecoming conduct by her, bringing disrepute to the state government. She will remain suspended until the disciplinary proceedings are concluded. It may be noted here that she was initially hailed by the Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangathan as a whistle-blower in the paper leak case, but the investigation now indicates that she was in prior contact with Khalid who allegedly leaked the paper and through his sister, sent the paper’s photo to her, urging her to solve the paper.
Meanwhile, in Haridwar, the Haridwar Police too have initiated action against personnel found negligent. Following the suspension of the Sector Magistrate and Assistant Professor Suman Chauhan, SSP Haridwar Pramendra Dobal has today suspended Sub Inspector Rohit Kumar and Constable Brahmdutt Joshi, both of whom were on duty at the Adarsh Bal Sadan Inter College in Bahadarabad. The SSP stated that the policemen failed to act with vigilance and sensitivity during the examination. He has ordered disciplinary proceedings against them and has handed over the inquiry to Circle Officer (CO) Roorkee, Narendra Pant, seeking a detailed report within a week.
The probe has revealed startling lapses at the examination centre. It is shocking that the main accused, Khalid, who was writing the exam at Adarsh Bal Sadan Inter College, allegedly managed to walk out of the room with the question paper after just half an hour, with the invigilator’s permission. He then photographed the paper in the washroom and sent three pages to his sister Sabia, who forwarded them to Suman. Despite being aware of the significance of the leak, Sabia facilitated the transmission and obtained solved answers. And Suman Chauhan, instead of reporting the matter to the authorities, shared the solved paper with alleged activist Bobby Panwar, president of the Uttarakhand Swabhiman Morcha, who circulated the paper further and caused an uproar across the state. The police investigation that followed led to the arrest of Sabia, who disclosed details of her brother Khalid. Though Khalid initially went into hiding, he too was later apprehended.
So far, the police have arrested Khalid and his sister Sabia, while the Higher Education Department has suspended Assistant Professor Suman. The government has also suspended KN Tiwari, Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency, who had been tasked with ensuring the integrity of the examination. The fact that the paper was leaked from three rooms without jammers has raised questions about the role of the jammer team as well.
Not a case of paper leak, it is an attempt to cheat: Dhami
Dehradun, 25 Sep: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today asserted that the current case related to alleged paper leak of UKSSSC exam is not really a case of paper leak but an attempt to cheat or copy. He was speaking to the media persons on the sidelines of an event held today. He rejected the claims that the incident amounted to a leak, asserting instead that it was a case of cheating.
Dhami asserted that paper leak could only be established if the question paper had surfaced before or during the early hours of the examination, such as by 9 a.m., 10 a.m., or even by 10.30 or 10.45 a.m. No such breach, he said, had occurred within those timeframes.
Dhami emphasised that, if anyone had obtained or received parts of the question paper, it was his or her duty to immediately inform the police and administration. He said the matter was concealed for several hours before being circulated on social media and other platforms with a deliberate attempt to malign the system. The CM remarked, “I would not call this a paper leak. You may term it a case of cheating, and we have already enacted a law to deal with such offences. It is not that crimes will cease after a law is passed, but the law ensures that offenders are punished. Strict action will be taken in this matter as well.”
Dhami asserted that the government has decided to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe recent examination irregularities and assured decisive action against those found guilty. He declared that the government would arrest and punish every copying mafia operating in the state
