Printing press staff sold exam papers for Rs 10-15 lakh in Uttarakhand: ED

Employees of a Lucknow printing press allegedly leaked papers for exams conducted by Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission and sold them to number of aspirants

Employees of a Lucknow located printing press and middlemen allegedly leaked question papers for the exams conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission and sold them to a number of aspirants at a rate of about Rs 10-15 lakh per paper, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Wednesday.

The federal agency said it raided multiple locations in the state on Tuesday as part of a money laundering investigation into this alleged exam paper leaks case.

The agency added that it seized and froze cash and bank deposits worth about Rs 1.14 crore along with various "incriminating" documents and property papers after these raids, it said in a statement.

The ED alleged that a company named RMS Techno Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd, Lucknow was the press where papers of the examinations conducted by UKSSSC were being printed and it had played a "major role in the leak".

"The examination papers were sold to a number of candidates at an approximate cost of Rs 10-15 lakh per paper by the middlemen and employees of RMS Techno Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd," it said.

"Huge amount of money was taken by the accused persons from potential candidates in lieu of leaking the papers to them. The accused made/earned properties worth crores of rupees in a short span of time", it said.

The ED case, filed under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money LAundering Act (PMLA), stems from multiple FIRs filed against the accused by the Uttarakhand Police.