J&K Police SI recruitment scam
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed a charge sheet against 24 accused, including a former BSF commandant, in a case related to the police sub-inspector recruitment scam in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
In its charge sheet filed before a special court in Jammu, the CBI said Yatin Yadav of Rewari, the mastermind, had accessed the question paper of the examination conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board through Pradip Kumar Katiyar, an employee of a printing press based in Delhi’s Okhla.
Yadav used a network of middlemen and officials of Jammu and Kashmir Police and central paramilitary forces to target aspirants willing to cough up Rs 20-30 lakh to get through the recruitment process, the officials said.
Through the exam, 1,200 posts in the Jammu and Kashmir Police were to be filled up.
Those charge-sheeted include Yadav, Katiyar and former Border Security Force (BSF) Medical Officer Dr Karnail Singh. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and BSF personnel and middlemen, most of them in judicial and police custody, are also among those charge-sheeted.
Yadav contacted other accused persons including BSF, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel to arrange candidates for the sale of the question paper, the CBI said in a statement.
“In furtherance to conspiracy, candidates were taken to Karnal and provided the leaked question paper in lieu of money. A few accused from J&K made arrangements for providing the leaked question paper to the candidates at Gangyal in Jammu.
“It was further alleged that the accused distributed the leaked question paper at the residence of a doctor (Karnail Singh). It was also alleged that some candidates actively participated in the said conspiracy,” the statement said.
In pursuance to criminal conspiracy, Yatin Yadav contacted other accused persons namely Anil Kumar, Surender Singh, Bajinder Singh to arrange candidates for sale of question paper. In pursuance to criminal conspiracy, Surender Singh arranged candidate Akshay Kumar through Kashmir Singh and Asheesh Yadav arranged candidate Mukhtar Ahmed. Both these candidates were provided leaked question paper at Rewari. Later, Anil Kumar contacted Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar to identify candidates. Bajinder Singh also found candidates through Sanjay Kumar Dutta (Investigation on this aspect is underway). Further , Ashwani Kumar contacted accused persons namely Kewal Krishan, Raman Sharma, Jagdish Lal, Amit Sharma, Suresh Kumar, Rakesh Kumar for arranging candidates.
All the candidates were taken to Karnal and provided leaked question paper in lieu of money. In the entire offence, Ashok Pandit, Asheesh Yadav, Sulinder helped the accused in distributing question papers and in booking hotels. Ashwani Kumar and other accused persons of J&K made arrangements for providing leaked question paper to candidates at Gangyal. The accused Jagdish Lal further entered into criminal conspiracy with Dr. Karnail Singh, Shubam Kala and others and distributed leaked question paper at the residence of Dr. Karnail Singh. Investigation revealed that candidates Jaisuriya Sharma, Tarsem Lal and Vikas Sharma also joined the conspiracy actively participating in the same.
Names of chargesheeted accused include Dr. Karnail Singh (Commandant in BSF); Ashwani Kumar (Ex CRPF Constable); Ashok Kumar, ASI, J&K Police; Jaisuriya Sharma, son of ASI Ashok Kumar; Kewal Krishan (Constable, J&K Police); Raman Sharma (Constable, J&K Police); Amit Kumar Sharma (CRPF Constable); Rakesh Kumar (Pvt. Person); Sunil Sharma (CRPF Constable); Suresh Kumar Sharma (Pvt. Person); Jagdish Lal (Teacher); Kashmir Singh (CRPF Constable); Atul Kumar (CRPF Constable); Tarsem Lal Sharma (Pvt. Person); Yatin Yadav (Pvt. Person); Vikas Sharma (Constable, J&K Police); Anil Kumar (Pvt. Person); Ashok @ Ashok Pandit (Pvt. Person); Pawan Kumar (CRPF Head Constable); Asheesh Yadav (Pvt. Person); Bajinder Singh (Pvt. Person); Sulinder Kumar (Pvt. Person); Surender Singh (CRPF Constable); Pradip Kumar Katiyar (Pvt. Person).
This is the first charge-sheet in this case while further investigations are underway to unearth larger conspiracy, to examine role of JKSSB officials, to establish the role of other accused persons and suspects and on other allegations levelled in the FIR.
The case was registered by CBI on August 3, 2022 on reference of J&K Government to investigate the allegations of irregularities in written examination conducted by J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) on March 27, 2022 for recruitment of 1,200 Sub-Inspectors of J&K Police. The result of this examination was declared on June 4,.2022.
The investigation was spread across several states, involved analysis of voluminous technical data and examination of more than 100 witnesses. After registration of the FIR, CBI conducted searches at 77 places covering locations in J&K, Haryana, Delhi, Bengaluru including residences of officials of JKSSB. 20 persons have been arrested in the case so far and cash of Rs. 61.79 lakhs has been seized.