E-Paper
ASI recruitment scam: Chandigarh Police constable among three held
The constable, Naresh, is posted at the office of Accountant General, Punjab, in Sector 17, Chandigarh; he hails from Jind, Haryana, and lives in Sector 42
Probing into the recently uncovered ASI recruitment scam, the Chandigarh Police made their first arrests on Tuesday.
Three men, including a constable with the city police, were held on the allegations of filing multiple applications for the December 18 recruitment exam to secure a position.
The constable, Naresh, is posted at the office of Accountant General, Punjab, in Sector 17, Chandigarh. He hails from Jind, Haryana, and lives in Sector 42.
The other two accused are Hardeep, 32, also from Jind and staying in Sector 41, and Chander Kant, alias Channu, 29, of Manimajra. It was Kant’s cyber cafe from where the fraudulent applications were filed, said police.
In September this year, Chandigarh Police had advertised vacancies for 49 ASI posts after a gap of 13 years and in response, 15,802 applications were received.
However, during digital scrutiny, several applicants were found to have submitted multiple applications with minor alterations in details.
On verification, 122 such applications were detected, following which a case was registered at the Sector-11 police station on November 30.
“Naresh wanted to ensure that he cleared the exam. So, he, along with Hardeep, submitted multiple forms, with similar details, except their respective pictures,” said Manoj Kumar Meena, senior superintendent of police (SSP, Headquarters and Crime), on Tuesday.
“Their modus operandi was aimed at getting consecutive roll numbers, so that they could sit together and cheat,” he said.
The accused were produced before a court on Tuesday. Naresh and Hardeep were sent to three-day police remand, while Chander was remanded to two-day custody.
Written exam to be held as per schedule: SSP
Meanwhile, the SSP said the written examination will be held as per schedule on December 18. A total of 49 posts of ASI are to be filled. These include 27 for men, 16 for women and six for army personnel.
