Shimla: Amid reports of a question paper leak, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday said the written test conducted to recruit police constables in March has been countermanded. This is for the second time within three years that the state government has nullified the examination to select constables.

In August 2019, the examination was held invalid after six men were caught impersonating as candidates. The written examination this time to recruit 1,700 constables was held on March 27 after the candidates cleared their fitness test. The investigation of the case has been entrusted to the state’s Crime Investigation Department (CID), and a five-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Madhu Sudan has been constituted, the chief minister said. A fresh written examination will be held later this month, he added.

The state’s Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu in a statement said that a FIR has been registered under Sections 420 (Cheating) and 120-B (Criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code in Kangra district’s Gaggal police station as some candidates allegedly resorted to cheating during the written examination. The other members of the SIT are Commandant, IRB Bangarh Vimukat Ranjan, Kangra Superintendent of Police (SP) Khushal Chand Sharma, SP CID (Cyber Crime) Rohit Malpani and SP CID (Crime) Virender Kalia, he mentioned.

The team has been directed to take up the investigation immediately. It has also been told to investigate the case to check the angle of any financial transaction and keep the police headquarters posted periodically on the progress, he added.

In a similar case in 2019, over 39,000 candidates had appeared for the examination in 12 districts. Six men, who impersonated as candidates, were caught. A youth from Kangra district was also arrested for his alleged involvement with the main accused. Cash worth Rs 6 lakh was recovered from his house during a raid. The accused used to fleece the candidates by assuring that they would appear for the examination in place of the candidates and ensure they cracked the examination.

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