Paper leak case: 2 Army personnel among 4 more held in Pune

Photo for representational purpose

Pune Police probing the Army paper leak case has arrested four more persons, including two Army personnel, a senior officer said on Tuesday, adding that the scope of the case looked like the "tip of the iceberg".

With this, the number of persons arrested in connection with the paper leak case so far has reached seven, including an ex-serviceman.

On February 18, the Army cancelled Army Relation Recruitment exam, which was scheduled to be held on February 28 at BEG centre in Pune, after the paper was found to be leaked.

Police are now investigating the source of the leaked paper and the exact number of candidates who had received its copies before the date of the exam.

"The said exam was scheduled on February 28. We had received intelligence that some people were approaching candidates and promising them to hand over the question paper in return of money," Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Ravindra Shisave told reporters on Tuesday.

He said the police had formed two teams and apprehended some people who were found to be in the possession of a question paper and were planning to sell it to aspirants.

"We then approached Army officials and cross-checked the question paper. We came to know that the question paper found in the mobile phones of those detained by us was the same that was set for the February 28 exam," he said, adding that the exam was subsequently cancelled by the Army.

Shisave said the scope of the probe looks very wide and "the police investigation so far could be just the tip of the iceberg".

The first case was registered against three people at Vishrantwadi police station in Pune, following which police arrested Ali Akhtar Khan (47), Azad Khan (37) and Mahendra Sonawane (37).

The three accused had promised an aspirant to give him the question paper in exchange of Rs 1 lakh.

In another case registered at Wanwadi police station in the city, police have arrested four persons, identified as Kishor Giri (40), Madhav Gitte (38), an ex-serviceman, Gopal Koli (31) and Uday Awati (23). Koli and Awati work in the Army, another officer said.

Koli is a drill instructor at Batalian-2 at BEG Centre, while Awati is a regimental police personnel.

The officer said that Giri and Gitte had called 14 candidates to a hotel in Vishrantwadi area to give them the copy of the question paper.

"Giri used to run military training classes but became tout as his business failed. Gitte retired on January 21 from Battalion-2, where the exam was supposed to be held," said Vitthal Patil, senior police inspector, Anti-Extortion Cell.

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