Pune: FIR Registered Against Five Persons In Army Recruitment Exam Paper Leak Case 

Mubarak Ansari

Pune, 1st March 2021: An FIR has been registered by Pune city police against five persons in connection with the paper leak of the pan India common entrance exam (CEE) for Army relation recruitment of soldier (general duty). The exam scheduled for February 28 had to be cancelled as the leak was detected by the Military Intelligence (MI) just ahead of the test. 

Every year Indian Army conducts a special recruitment drive for the dependent of Army personnel which is popularly known as Unit Headquarters (UHQ) Quota recruitment or Indian Army relation recruitment.

Based on a complaint from Assistant Police Inspector Sandip Buwa of the Anti-Extortion Cell 1 of the Crime Branch, Wanowrie police station has registered the case against Kishor Mahadev Giri (40) of Lakdenagar in Malegaon in Baramati taluka, Madhav Sheshrao Gite of Training Battalion 2 of the Bombay Sappers, Dighi, Yogesh Shankar Gosavi of Malegaon, Baramati, Kumar Pardeshi of Faltan in Satara district and one Bharat of Jalgaon whose details are not fully known. They have been booked for offences under sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act.

On the night of 27 and 28 February, following specific leads Military Intelligence, Pune, and Crime Branch of Pune City Police, jointly conducted specific operations at various locations in Maharashtra. The team had reached the house of Giri around 1.30 am on February 28 and recovered leaked question paper and answer sheet of common entrance exam for soldier (general duty). 

As per the case, accused Bharat of Jalgaon had sent the handwritten question papers and answer sheets to him. Giri had sent them to his contacts including Gite who had assembled 14 candidates at Samrudhi Hotel in Vishrantwadi to share the questions papers. Gite was taken into custody by a team. Meanwhile, by 7.30 am the team had brought Giri to Training Battalion 2 where the exam was to be conducted.

According to officials, the accused persons charged Rs 4-5 lakh from each candidate for providing the question paper. This module was facilitating selection into the Army adopting corrupt practices in medicals and written exams.

“On getting the copy of question paper, Army authorities swiftly confirmed its authenticity and controlled the damage by timely cancellation of the exam at pan India level. Police have so far apprehended three individuals. Investigation to find out the source of leakage of question paper is being probed by Military Intelligence (MI) and Army authorities. These individuals provided the same question paper to the candidates from Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli Belgaum and other states”, the official added.

Army and police official suspect the involvement of more persons as the question paper was leaked even after such a strict procedure.

In another case today, Crime Branch of Pune Police and Military Intelligence had nabbed three persons including two ex-servicemen and one defence civilian for trying to cheat by leaking question paper of Army Relation Recruitment at Bombay Sappers.