Guj constable recruitment exam cancelled after paper leak

A written exam for recruitment of Gujarat police constables was Sunday cancelled hours before it was scheduled to commence after authorities learnt that the paper had got leaked, an official said.

As many as 8.75 lakh candidates were scheduled to appear for the exam which was to start at 3 pm at 2440 centres across Gujarat, the official said.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has directed the state Home department to take immediate action whereas the opposition Congress has demanded setting up of an SIT under a sitting high court judge while alleging that "people of the ruling party" are behind the incident.

The examination was called off hours before it was scheduled to start after it came to light that the question paper was leaked, said Vikas Sahay, chairman of the Lokrakshak Recruitment Board (LRB), the body that conducts the examination.

"Somebody sent me a list of answers, and they were answers to the questions set for the examination. We called off the examination as it was clear that the paper had been leaked," Sahay said, adding that a police probe would be instituted into the issue.

"So far, we have no information as to where the paper got leaked from. We had set up strong rooms with CCTV cameras and security guards in every district to store the papers," he added.

The opposition Congress took the opportunity to attack the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and demanded a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Senior Congress leader and party's national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said the state government was "playing with the future of the youth".

"As per our information, people from the ruling party are behind this," Gohil said.

"It is only when the matter is investigated by an SIT under a sitting HC judge that we can expect the culprits to get punished for putting the youth to such hardship. Only then can we expect that such incidents do not recur in future," he said.

For his part, the chief minister directed the Home department to take immediate action, a government release said.

Rupani also announced that "the Lokrakshak examiners will be given to-and-fro state transport bus fares from their homes to the examination centres by the state government when the exam will be re-conducted," it said.

Meanwhile, candidates who had travelled to the centres from far off places to appear for the examination were baffled and dejected after learning about the cancellation.

They blocked roads and burnt tyres in protest in various parts of the state.