Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], August 11 : In a breakthrough, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the 2022 Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Junior Engineer (Diploma) paper leak case has arrested the absconding director of the exam-conducting agency from Mumbai, police said.
The suspect, identified as Arun Kumar, director of the New Delhi-based agency Bynsis Technology Pvt Ltd and a resident of Nalanda district, Bihar, was arrested and sent to judicial custody on August 10.
The JSSC had conducted the competitive examination for 1,279 Junior Engineer positions on July 3, 2022. However, news of the paper leak surfaced on the day of the exam after answer keys were leaked and circulated online before the start of the first shift. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the JSSC immediately cancelled the examination.
Following a written complaint lodged by candidate Mithlesh Kumar Mahto, an FIR was registered at Namkum Police Station on July 14, 2022. The case was filed under Sections 420, 467, 468, and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 66 of the IT Act, and Section 10 of the Bihar Conduct of Examinations Act. An SIT was subsequently constituted to lead the investigation.
Investigations confirmed that the paper leak was executed through an organised syndicate linked to the exam conducting agency, Bynsis Technology Pvt Ltd. Candidates were reportedly gathered in Patna, where they were made to memorise question papers and answer keys before the examination.
Before Arun Kumar's arrest, the SIT had already taken five individuals into judicial custody: Ranjit Mandal (candidate/named accused), Deepak Kumar (syndicate member), Abhishek Kumar (syndicate member), Deepak Srivastava (syndicate member), Krishna Kumar (Senior Manager, Bynsis Technology Pvt Ltd)
Law enforcement authorities confirmed that raids are actively ongoing to trace and arrest remaining absconding suspects involved in the paper leak racket.
The action comes after three JPSC members--Ajita Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmed--resigned on Sunday, while the state government announced a multi-pronged action plan, including probes by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged recruitment irregularities.
However, protesting students remained firm on their demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry.
The protests began after the announcement of results of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination on July 5, with aspirants alleging irregularities in the recruitment process.