Kingpin of UP Police exam paper leak arrested from Greater Noida

Brijesh Kumar Singh, assistant superintendent of police, STF, Meerut zone, said on Wednesday, they received reliable information that racket kingpin, 37-year-old Ravi Atri would be arriving at the Khurja bus stand in Jewar. Acting on tip-off, he was arrested

The kingpin of the gang that allegedly leaked the Uttar Pradesh Police Constable Exam 2023 paper in February this year was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh special task force (STF) from Greater Noida on Wednesday morning, said senior officers involved in the probe, adding that each candidate who wanted the leaked question paper was told to pay ₹7 lakh.

Ravi Atri allegedly leaked the UP constable recruitment exam paper to around 1,050 aspirants in Gurugram and Rewa, Madhya Pradesh for an alleged fee of ₹7 lakh per candidate. (HT Photo)

According to investigating officers, the gang leaked papers to around 1,050 aspirants in Gurugram and Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh Constable Recruitment and Promotion examination was held on February 17 and 18 and nearly 4.82 million aspirants appeared for the examinations for 60,244 posts. Later on February 24, chief minister Yogi Adityanath cancelled the examination over allegations of paper leak and ordered a retest within six months.

Brijesh Kumar Singh, assistant superintendent of police, STF, Meerut zone, said, “On Wednesday, we received reliable information that racket kingpin, 37-year-old Ravi Atri, a resident of Neemka village in Jewar, would be arriving at the Khurja bus stand in Jewar.”

“Acting on the tip-off, our team arrested Atri,” said Singh.

Singh said when Atri was questioned, he told the investigators he got to know through one of his accomplices, Abhishek Shukla, a resident of Prayagraj, that the constable exam papers were being transported by an Ahmedabad based transport company. He allegedly got hold of the paper from the transport company with the help of Shukla and a Patna-based expert named Dr Shubham Mandal, who was skilled in opening sealed boxes without raising suspicions of tampering.

Atri paid the duo around ₹15 lakh in instalments to get his hands on the test papers, the officer said.

Quoting Atri’s statement to police, Singh said, “Rajeev Nayan Mishra, a 32-year-old BTech graduate who hails from Prayagraj and resides in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, was hired as a recovery agent (to handle finances) and it was he who brought Atri candidates willing to pay to get the test papers.”

Mishra, who also leaked the question paper for the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UPTET) 2021 and the National Health Mission (NHM) contractual staff nurse recruitment exam in 2023, was arrested by the UP STF, Noida Unit, on April 2 from Greater Noida.

“A deal was struck for ₹7 lakh per candidate -- ₹4 lakh per candidate was to be transferred to Atri, while ₹3 lakh was to be shared by Mishra and his other accomplices who scouted for candidates,” said ASP Singh, adding that they leaked the paper to around 350 candidates in Rewa, and around 700 candidates in Gurugram.

When asked how much money the gang earned in all, Singh said, “As they were not sure whether the test paper they leaked was the right one, they collected the original documents of candidates and asked them to pay later, after they appeared in the test and the leaked paper turned out to be the right one.”

Since February, the UP STF has registered 12 cases in different districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with the exam paper leak and arrested more than 54 suspects.

A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and UP Public Examination Act was registered against Atri in Greater Noida and further investigations are underway.