The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Uttar Pradesh): The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has apprehended its first suspect, Neeraj Yadav, in the ongoing investigation into the police recruitment exam paper leak. Yadav, who hails from Ballia, was detained for allegedly circulating exam answers to candidates via WhatsApp. The answers were reportedly obtained from another suspect in Mathura, with the STF now focusing on this second individual.
This development follows the directive of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who, in a bid to preserve the integrity of the recruitment process, ordered the cancellation of the police recruitment examination. Chief Minister Adityanath has emphasized the necessity of a thorough investigation into the allegations and has mandated the re-conduction of the exam within six months. Additionally, he has announced provisions for free transportation of candidates to the exam centers using special UPSRTC buses and initiated investigations into reported irregularities in other recruitment exams.
The scale of the examination was massive, with 50 lakh applicants and over 43 lakh candidates participating across four shifts, spanning two days. The exams, held on February 17 and 18, were for more than 60,400 constable posts in the UP Police. Notably, six lakh of these candidates were from outside Uttar Pradesh.
The issue came to the fore following protests in Lucknow and other regions, as candidates raised allegations of a paper leak. This prompted an FIR to be lodged last Friday. In response to the growing unrest and in a meeting with senior officials, Chief Minister Adityanath decided to cancel the examination, affirming his commitment to maintaining the integrity of the examination process. He vowed stern action against those compromising the fairness of the exams, as stated in his post on X.
Subsequently, the home department, acting on the chief minister’s instructions, nullified the examination. The recruitment board has been tasked with aggressively pursuing legal avenues, including the filing of FIRs, against any negligence or malpractices identified in the examination process.