Paper Leak Scandal: Before the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the issue of paper leak in government recruitments is in discussion. Congress has said that one of its five guarantees will be to make a strict law on paper leaks. The party has also given the slogan of getting rid of paper leaks in the elections.Â
On the other hand, BJP is also trying to take lead by taking strict action against the accused in the paper leak scandal in Rajasthan. However, the recent paper leaks in UP and Gujarat have pushed it on the backfoot.
In the last 5 years, papers of about 45 recruitment examinations of 15 states have been leaked in the country. These paper leaks have had a direct impact on 1.4 crore candidates who were preparing for government jobs.
Even after making laws in the Center and many states, incidents of paper leaks continue unabated. Many governments have stopped conducting recruitment exams in view of the embarrassment caused by paper leaks.
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In such a situation, it is important to know why the incidents of paper leaks are not stopping and how the entire system of leaks works.Â
How did paper leak become the biggest issue of the country?
For the first time in 2014, the news of paper leak came to light in Uttar Pradesh. Then CPMT paper was leaked in UP. In this leak, the then Akhilesh Yadav government got a lot of flak. In this case, questions were also raised on KGMU, the examination conducting body.
In July this year, the Railway Recruitment Board exam paper was leaked in Lucknow. The investigation of the case was handed over to UP STF. Exactly one year later, the board exam paper was leaked in Bihar. At that time BJP was in opposition in Bihar and made it a big issue.
SSC paper was leaked in Bihar in 2017. SSC Chairman Sudhir Kumar was arrested in this case. Gradually paper leak became a big problem of the country.
Indian Express had recently released a report regarding paper leak, according to which 41 papers were leaked in the last 5 years. If the figures for 2024 are added, this number reaches 45.
All paper leaks are related to government jobs. According to the report, the paper leak directly affected 1.4 crore people. All were candidates for government jobs.
In the last 5 years, 1.4 lakh people could have got jobs through the examination conducted by 15 states, but due to paper leak, the candidates could not get these jobs.
Paper leak also became a political issue in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. During a rally in Rajasthan before the 2023 elections, Prime Minister Modi himself had talked about taking strict action against paper leakers.
Jharkhand and Rajasthan governments also passed laws in the assembly regarding paper leak. Recently, the Center has also made a law on paper leaks.
Understand the whole game of paper leak through these 5 case studies
On the basis of the revelations made regarding paper leak in Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and Rajasthan, let us understand the whole game of paper leak in detail through these 4 case studies. .
1. The first goal of the gang is to get the paper out of the recruitment board
The first goal of the gang people is to get the paper out before time, for this the gang members contact the people of the board. SOG, which is investigating the paper leak in Rajasthan, had claimed in its charge sheet that the paper leak incident happened because the board members were involved in it.
SOG had arrested Rajasthan Recruitment Board member Babulal Katara in 2023. Katara had revealed during interrogation that she had provided question papers to the gang members two months before the exam.
According to SOG, the paper leak gang contacted Katara through her nephew. After the matter was settled, the gang members also gave Rs 1 crore to Katara.
A similar case had also come to light in Jharkhand. Where the owner of the company which was authorized by the government to conduct the examination, sold the papers to the gang.
2. Second goal – To identify to whom the paper is to be sold
The second major goal of the gang is to find a customer for the paper collected. Gang members are active simultaneously in several cities to find customers. According to the revelations made so far by the investigating agencies of many states, the gang contacts coaching institutes to sell papers.
The owners of coaching institutes buy papers and sell them to their children.
Many coaching owners have been arrested from Bihar, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan on charges of selling paper leaks. Recently, in the papers that were leaked in the SI recruitment case in Rajasthan, 14 coaching owners are also under the radar of the investigating agency.
3. In paper leak, money transaction is done through Hawala
People of paper leak gang also take a lot of precautions in money transaction. The entire money transaction is done through Hawala. Recently the investigating agency in Bihar had received a lot of input in this regard.
According to a report in Hindustan newspaper, in the paper regarding constable reinstatement in Bihar which was leaked in October 2023, the entire money transaction was done through Hawala. The investigating agency EOU also found many evidences in this context.
In Rajasthan and Jharkhand also, money was transferred through backdoor. This is the reason why the Enforcement Directorate (ED) team is also investigating the paper leak in Rajasthan and Jharkhand.
There are also two methods of money transaction. At the time of giving the paper, the gang members take advance before the candidate. After the exam, full money is taken from the candidate.
4. After leaving the jail, the master mind starts playing again
Most of the master minds arrested so far in connection with the paper leak have previously worked for Munna Bhai. Recently, Rajasthan’s Special Operation Group has arrested the mastermind of the recruitment examination, Jagdish Bishnoi.Â
Before 2010, Bishnoi used to appear in the examination in place of others. When there was strictness after 2010, the paper got involved in the leak work. According to Rajasthan Police, Jagdish started this work again after coming from jail.
One such example is Anand Gaurav alias Pintu Yadav, the mastermind of Bihar Public Service Commission paper leak. Pintu, a resident of Munger, is currently in jail and is accused of leaking the 2022 BPSC exam paper.
Pintu had gone to jail in 2018 also in the paper leak case, but after coming out, he started this work again.
