JKSSB class IV exams Alleged cheating cases erupt in 32 centers

Engineer among five held; 3 government teachers, board employees under scanner

Jammu: The largest exam conducted by premier recruitment agency of the erstwhile state Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) for filling over 8000 class IV posts across the Union Territory, has come under scanner after R S Pura Police busted a control room set up by the touts for helping students appearing for exams.

The police have claimed bust control room setup by touts and recovered electronic gadgets like Bluetooth, mobile phones , smart watches ,wifi equipment’s etc used in communicating answer keys during examination.

The exam conducted in three phases starting from February 27 and concluded on March 1. The scam came to fore five days after JKSSB’s admittance that mal practicing were reported in three centers across UT which including Rehari in Jammu, Alamgir in Srinagar and University of Kashmir, Hazratbal in which three candidates were debarred for three years from participating in examinations to be conducted by the JKSSB.

Official sources said that over 3 lakh candidates were appeared for the Class 4th recruitment examinations conducted by JKSSB.

Police sources said that initially police arrested two persons namely Abhinandan Sharma son of Suraj Pal Sharma, an engineer by profession, and Hardev Singh son of Kirpal Singh both are resident of R.S Pura and later on their disclosure police lifted three more persons namely Varun Deep Singh, Jaswinder alias Jassi and Harcharan Singh.

They said that during their interrogations, they revealed the names of three government teachers (Maths) and one another teacher taught in a private school. Police sources said that they revealed police that they charged Rs 20,000 from each candidate for solving one paper, adding, 32 centers have been effected in the scam.

“During questioning the duo accepted their crime and gave police some important clues of involvement of some teachers and some other officials hired for logistic help.

During questioning the duo also disclosed names of the students who got undue benefit in this process”, said a police officer.

Police have registered a case bearing FIR NO. 42/2021, 5 UFME ACT, 409,120-B IPC in this connection.

Meanwhile, Chairman JKSSB Khalid Jahangir when contacted by The News Now said that police have not informed him for the involvement of any employee in JKSSB in the scam, adding, strict action would be taken against his subordinates if found involved into it.