Chandigarh Police on Thursday claimed to have exposed the question paper leak scandal of ITI instructor exam, which was scheduled to be conducted by Haryana Staff Selection Commission in different computer labs situated in the state.

The UT Police has arrested an accused namely Nitish (24), resident of village Alakhpura, tehsil Ditwara Distt Nagaur in Rajasthan, who was working as manager at Mapple Tech computer Lab situated in Industrial area Phase II here.

The Police has also apprehended 11 candidates, who were scheduled to appear in the said exam on Thursday. One female is also among the 11 apprehended candidates.

Following the arrest, the exam was cancelled by the HSSC.

“Each candidate would have to pay the amount Rs 10 to 15 lakh for procuring the said question paper, which would have helped them to obtain high merit in written exam to secure the job. The police has recovered the audio recording, voice notes and WhatsApp chat between main accused Nitish and candidates,” said UT SSP Nilambari Jagdale while talking to the mediapersons here.

Police has also seized mobiles of some candidates and audio notes and WhatsApp chats with other accused person is also available in seized mobiles. Investigation is going on and more arrests are expected in the case, she said. 

Giving more details, the SSP said that on Thursday, the police officials of Police Station Sector-31, were on patrolling near HDFC Bank, Indl. Area Phase II in the morning when they received secret information about the online exam of  HSSC for ITI instructor to be conducted in the different computer labs situated at Haryana and Chandigarh.

On verification, it was revealed that one Nitish was talking regarding supplying of question paper on mobile phone with another accused, she said.

During interrogation, the accused Nitish disclosed that another accused namely Rakesh alias Rakka and others was to supply him question paper for the above said exam and further, he was to supply the said question paper to the said candidates for an amount of Rs 10-15 lacs for each candidate and the candidates were gathered to collect the said question paper. But due to some problem, the question paper for morning shift could not be arranged and further, the question paper for evening shift exam was to be collected and supplied to the said candidates accordingly, the SSP said.

About the modus operandi, she said that the accused persons used to open computer labs. Through their brokers, they used to contact the potential candidates and assured them for providing the question paper before exam, so that they may be able to clear the written exam on high merit. The payment mode has been decided in different slabs. They called their customers or candidates to a certain place (computer labs) prior night to the exam for briefing or training, she added.