At least 14 trainee police sub-inspectors (SIs), including the topper and son of a police officer, have been arrested in Rajasthan for allegedly clearing the police sub-inspector (SI) recruitment entrance test in 2021 by using unfair means. Senior minister of the Rajasthan government, Kirori Lal Meena, has hinted at canceling the exam after this action.
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission conducted the Sub-Inspector and Platoon Commander Recruitment exam in 2021, but now the exam is likely to be canceled as major irregularities have come to the fore in the recruitment. A team of the Rajasthan police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) reached the Rajasthan Police Academy and detained suspects undergoing training there on Monday. One sub-inspector was detained from the Police Training School in Ajmer’s Kishangarh, while two others were from their villages. The detained SI includes the topper of the exam and the son of a senior police officer of the Rajasthan Police Service who obtained the 22nd rank. After interrogation, 14 of these have been arrested and two are detained by the police on Tuesday.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Rajasthan police, formed to investigate the question paper leak cases, took this action based on the interrogation of the alleged mastermind of the question paper leak incident of the Junior Engineer (JEN) recruitment exam, Jagdish Vishnoi. The trainees used to procure leaked question papers, while some used dummy candidates to appear in the exam on their behalf.
VK Singh, the ADG of the state police ATS and SOG, said, "After receiving information that a criminal gang leaked the question paper and got a few candidates recruited, it was verified, and an FIR (first information report) registered. Suspected trainees were brought to the SOG headquarters for questioning, and 14 of them have been arrested. The Special Operation Group has revealed that the paper was leaked from a private school in Jaipur. The owner of the school, Rajesh Khandelwal, has also been arrested."
Senior minister of the Rajasthan government, Dr Kirori Lal Meena, has said that large-scale irregularities took place in conducting the exam. "I have given some documents related to this to the police and will talk to the CM to cancel the exam," said Meena.
