Balasore: In the Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) exam paper leak case, a significant breakthrough has been made, leading to the arrest of 8 individuals, including the mastermind behind the scandal. A total of 17 people, including the mastermind, have been apprehended in connection with the leaked question paper incident.
The main written examination for the recruitment of 1008 JE (civil) Group-B posts in various government offices of Odisha took place on July 16, 2023. However, during an investigation into a fake job racket registered at Sahadev Khuntia police station in Balasore district, it was discovered that the question paper for the JE (civil) recruitment exam had been leaked before the test. As a result, the OSSC decided to cancel the main written test and schedule a fresh examination on September 3, 2023.
According to the Superintendent of Police in Balasore, the question paper was leaked from a printing press situated outside Odisha. A worker at the printing press allegedly handed over the question paper to the mastermind, who then informed his associates in Bihar about the leaked question paper.
The modus operandi involved the mastermind and his associates identifying candidates in Odisha who were interested in obtaining the leaked question paper. A deal was struck with these candidates, where they would pay 50 percent of the amount before the exam if the question paper proved to be genuine, and the remaining 50 percent after they were selected.
The mastermind has a history of involvement in similar cases. He was previously arrested by the Delhi crime branch for his role in leaking question papers for the recruitment of SI and ASI conducted by the central SSC in 2013-14. He was also implicated in similar incidents in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.
The accused had contacts with the printing press staff, as one of the employees’ brothers belonged to the mastermind’s native place. The question paper was obtained from the printing press on July 12, and the crime was committed thereafter.
The mastermind had a job as a divisional accountant in the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) services after clearing the Central Staff Selection Commission’s Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination in 2013. Prior to this, he had worked as a tax assistant in the income tax department in Durgapur, West Bengal.
In this case, the investigation has not yet revealed any financial transactions between the accused and the candidates since the examination had not taken place at the time of the raid. The accused allegedly took away the original certificates of the candidates and provided them with the leaked question paper before the examination date. They would then demand payment from the candidates based on the results.
The authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of the racket and bring all those involved to justice.