UKSSSC paper leak: STF begins attaching ₹6 cr illegal property of key accused

On July 22, a case was registered at Raipur police station in Dehradun in connection with the paper leak following the instructions of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to DGP Ashok Kumar

The special task force (STF) of Uttarakhand police on Saturday began the procedure for the attachment of ₹ 6 crores worth of property acquired by Hakam Singh Rawat, one of the main accused in the Uttarakhand subordinate service selection commission (UKSSSC) paper leak case.

Accused Hakam Singh Rawat in STF custody in Dehradun after he was arrested in August this year (HT Photo)

Rawat is said to be one of the “masterminds”, who played a key role in the paper leak case. He was arrested in August this year near Arakot in Uttarkashi while on the run trying to enter Himachal Pradesh.

Senior superintendent of police (STF) Ayush Aggarwal said the STF has submitted its report to the Dehradun district magistrate regarding the attachment of ₹ 6 crores of illegally acquired properties, both movable and immovable, by the accused.

“The report was prepared after evaluation work of the movable and immovable property purchased by Hakam Singh through the money he earned in this case. The detailed report has been sent to the district magistrate, Dehradun, for attachment/confiscation of Singh’s illegally acquired movable and immovable property worth ₹ 6 crores,” Aggarwal said.

He said all the main accused in the UKSSSC paper leak scam are being investigated by the STF. “There is a provision under Section 14 of the Gangster Act, to attach the movable and immovable property acquired by the accused through illegal activities,” said Aggarwal.

After receiving instructions from Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar, the police and STF have started cracking down on the criminals of the Gangster Act.

Hakam Singh, the then Uttarkashi Zila panchayat member and a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was on the STF radar since the initial days of the probe in the case. Given his influence, STF first collected concrete evidence against him before arresting him in August.

From 2008 to 2013, he held the post of gram pradhan of his native Liwari village in Mori tehsil in Uttarkashi district.

On July 22, a case was registered at Raipur police station in Dehradun in connection with the paper leak following the instructions of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to DGP Ashok Kumar.

Furthermore, over 40 people, including many belonging to an organised cheating gang based in Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested in the case.

The STF has so far filed charge sheet against 39 accused in the court, according to an official known to the matter.