Date:13/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/13/stories/2008121357550100.htm

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Paper leak: CBI seeks action against 2 police officials

S. Vijay Kumar

Recommends major departmental action
Charge sheet filed against 31, including 19 police personnel

CHENNAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has recommended “major departmental action” against two senior police officials in Tamil Nadu in connection with the police recruitment examination question paper leak case of 2005.

CBI sources said that the agency has written to the government pointing out the “lapses” on the part of V. Balachandran, Additional Director-General of Police (Vigilance), Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, and T. Radhakrishnan, Inspector-General of Police (Training), in the conduct of examination for recruitment of police constables (Grade II). The officials were Members of the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB) when the question papers were leaked, leading to the cancellation of an examination on two occasions.

CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch that investigated the case filed charge sheet in a special court on Friday against 31 persons, including 19 police personnel, accused in the case. However, the names of the two senior police officials did not figure in the list while they were accused of having “failed miserably in conducting the examination in a fair manner”, sources in the agency said.

Leaked twice

According to investigators, the case pertains to the leakage of question paper for the written examination in ‘General Knowledge’ subject conducted by the TNUSRB for the recruitment of 1,997 posts of police constables in 2005.

When the examination was first held on March 27, 2005 across 14 centres in the State, a section of the media reported that the question paper was leaked. Following this, the Special Branch CID police conducted a discreet enquiry.

The government ordered cancellation of the examination conducted again on June 1, 2005.

Despite precautionary measures, the question paper was leaked again in the Vellore centre. The examination, in which about 50,000 candidates who had qualified in the physical efficiency test appeared, was cancelled.

Based on another enquiry, a case was registered by the Chindadripet police, which was later transferred to the Crime Branch CID. Disposing a writ petition filed by one of the candidates, A. Dhandapani, the Madras High Court ordered a probe by the CBI into the case. After the completion of investigation, the CBI filed charge sheet against 31 persons under Section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) of IPC and Section 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) (abusing official position for pecuniary benefits) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. As many as 158 witnesses and 172 documents were cited in the charge sheet.