BHOPAL: Two Delhi-based "middlemen" and 48 candidates have been arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) from a Gwalior hotel for allegedly "leaking" the question paper of a Food Corporation of India (FCI) examination for the post of watchman, an official said today.
The exam was supposed to be held at various centres in Madhya Pradesh today and according to an STF release, the aspirants were asked to pay Rs 5 lakh each for the question paper.
However, the STF official said she was not sure whether the exam was held as scheduled for the advertised post.
The arrested agents are identified as Ashutosh Kumar and Harish Kumar, both residents of Delhi.
Both the men, who hail from Bihar, worked for the racket’s kingpin, who also hails from Bihar and owns a couple of colleges in a central Indian state. The racket kingpin is believed to have strong contacts with influential people in several states, including Madhya Pradesh.
According to STF sources in Bhopal, AIG, STF, in Bhopal Sunil Kumar Shivhare got specific inputs about the possible paper leak of the Sunday’s FCI examination in Madhya Pradesh, after which a joint team of STF Bhopal and Gwalior led by inspectors Ejaz Ahmad and Chetan Singh Bais was constituted.
The STF seized a hand-written question paper along with an answer sheet from the accused.
"During interrogation, the candidates revealed that each of them was asked to pay Rs five lakh for the question paper with solved answers.
They were asked to pay the amount after they are selected for the post," the release said.
A case has been registered and further investigation is underway, it said.
(With PTI inputs)