Following a nationwide raid by the Thane Crime Branch acting on a tip-off that the Army recruitment examination papers had been leaked, Pune police nabbed eight persons in connection with what appears to be a burgeoning scam.
The Thane sleuths, under the direction of Deputy Commissioner of Police Parag Manere, conducted raids in Nagpur, Pune and Nashik in Maharashtra and the adjoining State of Goa. According to police sources, the epicentre of the scandal appears to be Nagpur, where the leak has been traced to.
The city police have arrested eight persons, mostly former servicemen, in connection with the case in Pune.
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The recruitment exam, slated for Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. across the country, has been cancelled in nine centres in Maharashtra, including the Bhekrai Nagar in the city’s Hadapasar area.
Police said, around 70 students are believed to have coughed up a whopping ₹3 lakh each to secure the question paper. The accused had later distributed the question paper to these people through WhatsApp. During the raid, a few students were caught red-handed writing their exam in a lodge.
The Thane police shared information with Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla, following which Suresh Bhosle, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime), led a unit to nab the accused. They suspect the involvement of a few Army men in leaking the paper.
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So far, the police have nabbed 18 people and 350 students in connection with the case.