PSI scam: ADGP denies taking bribes, says juniors betrayed him

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday questioned ADGP Amrit Paul, arrested in the police sub-inspector exam scam.

According to sources, Paul conceded that the scam took place during his tenure as ADGP (recruitment), but denied that he had taken money from candidates to help them pass the exam in a fraudulent manner.

CID boss P S Sandhu and other senior officers are monitoring Paul’s grilling.

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In particular, Paul is being asked about the circumstances in which he handed over the keys of the strongroom to deputy superintendent of police Shanthakumar.

Shanthakumar, who served in the recruitment wing for 12 years and has been arrested in the scam, had “unfettered access” to the strongroom where the OMR sheets of 54,041 candidates who took the exam were stored.

Paul acknowledged that the strongroom key should have been in his custody, but said he gave it to Shanthakumar because he trusted him, the sources said.

The senior IPS officer was also asked about Shanthakumar’s claim that he took bribes from candidates in his name and gave him a share, the sources said, adding the investigators are checking transactions in Paul’s bank accounts during the time of the scam.

Paul denied receiving any money taken from candidates, but conceded that he ought to have been more careful during the exam process.

He insisted that his “blind” trust in his junior officers and negligence led to the scam.

The sources further said Paul’s phone had been seized and given to experts for retrieving the data.

CID officials have already retrieved data from Shanthakumar’s phone and obtained audio clippings.

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In one audio, someone is heard asking Shanthakumar to take the keys to the strongroom and get the work done.

The CID is trying to find out if this was a conversation between Shanthakumar and Paul.

It is alleged that 30 candidates paid Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh each for tampering with their OMR sheets after they had taken the exam.

Besides Shanthakumar, the CID has arrested Harsha, a first division assistant and reserve sub-inspectors Sridhar and Srinivas working in the recruitment wing. They are also accused of tampering with the OMR sheets.