Three arrested, five detained in connection with Assam police exam paper leak

Three persons, including a woman, were arrested and five more have been detained in connection with leaking of question papers for the written examination of sub-inspectors in Assam Police, officials said on Wednesday.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested one person, while two more were nabbed by the Crime Branch of Guwahati Police, they said.

The person arrested by the CID has been identified as Hirakjyoti Barua and he was produced in court, the Assam Police said in a statement.

"The arrested person was a candidate in this examination and had collected the answer sheet and forwarded it. Investigation of the case is under progress," it said.

An Assam Police Spokesperson said two more persons, including a woman employee of the state government, were arrested by the Crime Branch.

"They have been identified as Jugami Brahma from the Irrigation Colony in Guwahati and Kushal Das from Sualkuchi in Kamrup district," he said.

Another senior police officer said five more persons were detained for questioning for their suspected involvement in the case.

"These include the owner of a lodge in the city. We have come to know that a mock test with the leaked question paper took place a day before the scheduled examination at the lodge and many candidates appeared there. We are investigating further," he said.

Police have seized copies of the question paper from the lodge, the officer said.

On September 20, the question paper of the written examination for 597 posts of sub-inspectors in Assam Police got leaked, and the authorities cancelled the test minutes after it had commenced.

Around 66,000 candidates appeared for the written tests across 154 centres in all the districts.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the State Level Police Recruitment Board (SLPRB) Chairman Pradeep Kumar to conduct the examination again within a month.

Sonowal also asked the Director General of Police to initiate strict action against the culprits at the earliest.