SIT recovers important documents from Khalid Malik’s house in UKSSSC paper leak case
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
After visiting the house of the main accused Khalid Malik in the alleged UKSSSC graduate-level recruitment examination paper leak case twice on Saturday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reportedly found crucial evidence which it has taken in its possession. The team questioned family members in Sultanpur, Haridwar and later returned in the evening to search for documents and digital data.
The SIT also searched a school in Bahadurpur village where Khalid had his examination centre. The question paper was leaked from this location and circulated on social media within 35 minutes of the exam starting. The SIT interrogated the school owner, clerk, and staff on duty for nearly three hours about security arrangements and activities during the exam. The Dehradun superintendent of police (Rural) Jaya Baluni, who is leading the probe, said that the SIT members are verifying information through repeated questioning, examining digital evidence, CCTV footage and mobile data.
The investigation team is pursuing every lead and conducting cross-verification of statements. She added that interrogation of the staff at the examination centre had also been carried out and police are working to gather more details. She refused to divulge more details about the investigation.
The incident took place during the UKSSSC graduate-level examination held on September 21 when images of three pages of the question paper went viral on social media. The exam began at 11 AM and by 11:35 AM, the pages of the question paper went viral on social media. The police had also arrested exam cheating racket leader Hakam Singh and his aide Pankaj Gaur a day before the exam that also fuelled anger among youths after the leaked paper images circulated on social media.
The police soon arrested Malik who leaked the images to his sister Sabia to get answers. Sabia was also arrested who had sent the images to an assistant professor in Tehri, Suman to get the answers. Authorities alleged that Suman received the leaked paper first but informed the Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh instead of the police. The police have also booked Suman under relevant charges.
The government has also suspended Suman. Besides this, a sector magistrate and two police personnel, including a sub-inspector, who were on duty at the examination centre have also been suspended so far.
