A doctor working at a government-run primary health center in Bihar was held in connection with the Uttar Pradesh Police constable recruitment examination paper leak case.
The arrested 27-year-old doctor has been identified as Dr. Shubham Mandal. The state government had declared nullified the recruitment examination that the UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) arranged on February 17 and 18. After accusations of a paper leak, the STF entrusted the investigation of the case to the STF.
The police said Dr. Shubham’s name cropped up during the interrogation of other people arrested in the case. According to officials, a total of 178 FIRs related to the leak of two question papers have been lodged and 393 people arrested.
In a press release, the state’s Special Task Force (STF) said that Shubham, a resident of Patna, is posted at a primary health center in the Katihar district of Bihar. He got his MBBS degree from Nalanda Medical College, it said. The press release further added that Shubham and his friend Bittu, who completed his MBBS degree from Patna Medical College in 2021, were booked in 2017 in connection with the leak of the NEET question paper.
The STF arrested three persons, Abhishek Kumar Shukla, Shivam Giri, and Rohit Kumar Pandey, on Friday. It is claimed that the paper was leaked at the Ahmedabad warehouse of the company that is responsible for transporting the examination papers.
Shivam and Rohit were current employees of the company, while Abhishek Shukla worked for it previously.
As per the STF, it was revealed during the investigation that when the question paper reached the warehouse in Ahmedabad, Dr. Shubham Mandal was asked to reach the city. Shubham and others gained access to the warehouse the next day, where he opened the box containing the question paper and captured the photographs with a cellphone, then sealed the box.
After a few days, Dr. Shubham went inside the warehouse again to click the photographs of another set of question papers.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)