Lekhpal recruitment exam: School principal, 3 others held for helping an aspirant in Prayagraj

An FIR was registered against nine persons on the complaint of the static magistrate at Kareli police station of Prayagraj on Sunday night, after an investigation into the allegations made by other aspirants of Lekhpal recruitment exam

Kareli police arrested four persons, including the principal of Chetna Girls Intermediate School, on Monday on charges of providing an unfair advantage to an aspirant during the Lekhpal recruitment examination at the centre in Kareli locality on Sunday.

Aspirants of Lekhpal recruitment examination had created a ruckus at a centre in Kareli area of Prayagraj when an aspirant spotted an unidentified person providing help to a woman candidate. (Pic for representation)

An FIR was registered against nine persons on the complaint of the static magistrate at Kareli police station on Sunday night, after an investigation into the allegations made by other aspirants at the centre, officials said.

The aspirants had created a ruckus at the centre when the examination was nearing conclusion after an aspirant spotted an unidentified person providing help to a woman aspirant, Ritu Singh, in room number 12. Ritu Singh fled the centre, but the aspirants snatched her admit card and a slip, which they claimed was the answer key.

Senior police and administrative officials reached the spot and pacified the enraged aspirants. In his complaint to the police, static magistrate Sandeep Yadav said scanning of CCTV footage and statements of other aspirants proved that an outsider entered the room and helped the aspirant Ritu Singh with the answer key in presence of the room invigilator Huma Bano and Maladhari Yadav. Upon checking, the answer key found with Ritu Singh matched the answers on her OMR sheet.

An FIR was lodged against school principal Shabnam Parveen, manager Shahban Ahmad, centre in charge Giriraj Gupta, staff Mahaveer Singh, room invigilators Huma Bano and Maladhari Yadav, Kashan Ahmad along with aspirant Ritu Singh and an unidentified person who provided unfair means to her, under different sections of the Uttar Pradesh Public Examination Act 1998 and section 420 of the IPC.

Circle Officer (Shahganj) Satyendra Kumar Tiwari said, “School principal Shabnam Parveen, Shahban Ahmad, Huma Bano and Giriraj Gupta have been arrested in this connection. They were being questioned to identify the person, who was providing unfair means to the aspirant.”