Two BJP Workers Among 4 Arrested for Leaking Question Paper of Cop Recruitment Exam Paper in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Two BJP leaders were among four people arrested on Monday after the paper of a police constable recruitment exam was leaked in Gujarat.

Just hours before the Lok Rakshak Dal (LRD) entrance examination was scheduled to begin on Sunday, the authorities has to suspend it.

Police said two of the arrested Mukesh Chaudhary and Manhar Patel are district level leaders of the BJP while Patel is a sub-inspector at Gandhinagar and Rupal Sharma works at a hostel in Gandhinagar, which was also an exam centre.

Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani suspended Chaudhary and Patel on Monday. The sub-inspector has also been suspended by the police.

Immediately after the names of its leaders cropped up in the case, the BJP swung into damage control mode. Party spokesperson Bharat Pandya said the two leaders have been suspended to send across a message that indiscipline will not be tolerated. “The law should take its course and all those who are involved should be severely punished,” Pandya said.

Gandhinagar SP Mayur Chavda said that Yashpalsinh Solanki, a contractual employee of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, leaked paper on November 30.

“Solanki went to Delhi on the intervening night of November 29 and 30. He returned back to Gujarat with the leaked paper on November 30. We are not in a position to reveal more about him, but we have ascertained his whereabouts and he will be arrested soon,” SP Chavda said.

The senior police officer said it was clear that the paper got the answers from Delhi and then passed them over to his accomplices in Gujarat.

“Solanki handed over the answers Manhar Patel, who asked Jayesh Patel to take them to Gandhinagar and hand them over to sub-inspector P V Patel,” Chavda added.

According to the police, at least 10 aspirants who were to take the examination were present at the hostel where the answers were shown to them by the accused. PV Patel’s relatives were also candidates for the exam.

Investigations so far have revealed that no money has been exchanged yet. According to the arrangements, the candidates were supposed to pay Rs 1 lakh after the examination if most of the leaked questions coincided with those in the exam paper.

The remaining amount, which was stated to be around Rs 4 lakh, was to be paid after the candidates were short-listed.

“Since the examination did not take place, no money has been exchanged so far,” Chavda said.

Meanwhile, the Youth Congress and NSUI workers staged protests at almost all district headquarters in the state on Monday.

Several Congress workers were detained briefly by the police during the demonstrations in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad.

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief Amit Chavda said that the involvement of BJP leaders in the paper leak is a matter of shame and an impartial probe should be conducted in the matter.

“The Congress will continue to stand with the victims and ensure that they get justice,” he added.

“The BJP leaders were involved to provide jobs illegally to persons associated with the RSS. The chief minister is answerable and must resign,” Amit Chavda said.

Meanwhile, Patidar reservation stir leader Hardik Patel alleged that such a huge paper leak could not have been orchestrated by taluka level leaders and it appears as if the real culprits are being shielded.