E-Paper
Paper leak case: Lt.Col rank officer remanded to police custody
The lieutenant colonel-rank officer arrested by Pune police on Monday from Secunderabad in Army recruitment question paper leak case was remanded to police custody by a court in Pune on Tuesday
The lieutenant colonel-rank officer arrested by Pune police on Monday from Secunderabad in Army recruitment question paper leak case was remanded to police custody by a court in Pune on Tuesday.
Bhagat Preetsingh Sartajsingh Bedi (44) was remanded to police custody till May 25 by Additional Sessions Judge SR Navander.
His arrest was made after a storekeeper from Delhi Cantonment, Vira Prasad Kotiswamy (41), who was arrested on May 15, revealed that the officer had sent him the paper, according to Laxman Borate, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), crime, Pune police.
Kotiswamy is also in police custody.
“An internal inquiry was conducted by the Indian Army and then he was handed over to us. They have given us a phone that he owned but that is not the one he used to send the question paper. We have to recover that phone,” said ACP Borate.
Explaining the reason for seeking remand, Public Prosecutor Premkumar Agarwal claimed that the officer had breached protocol that required him to not use his phone.
“He was the presiding officer on the committee that decides on the matters related to the question paper. A CD is provided to the presiding officer and the password is also provided to open the CD. Use of phone is not expected in this process. He used his phone and sent the question paper,” said PP Agarwal.
However, defence advocate Sudhir Shah claimed that the name of the officer had failed to appear in the chargesheet in the case.
“The case was registered on March 1. The chargesheet has been filed. But his name is not come in it,” said Advocate Shah.
Two cases were registered on March 1 based on the police action that resulted in cancellation of the recruitment exam on February 28 at 40 centers for 30,000 aspirants. While one case was at Vishrantwadi police station, the other one was at Wanowrie police station.
The chargesheet in Vishrantwadi case was presented to court on April 27 while the one in Wanowrie case was presented in April 30, according to the police. Kotiswamy and Lt Col Bedi have both been arrested in the case registered at Wanowrie police station.
