SRINAGAR: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a case against Mumbai-based Aptech Limited and other entities for their alleged involvement in the leakage of the question paper for the General Departmental Competitive Examination (GDCE) conducted by the Railway Recruitment Centre, Mumbai, reports appearing in the media said.
The examination, which took place on January 3, 2021, at 28 examination centres across Ahmedabad, Indore, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, and Mumbai, witnessed participation from over 8,600 candidates.
According to CBI officials, the computer-based test faced accusations of question paper leaks to aspirants through WhatsApp messages and physical distribution before the commencement, in exchange for substantial payments.
The FIR filed by the CBI alleges that Aptech Limited, appointed as the Exam Conducting Agency, played a role in supplying candidates appearing for the GDCE exam with question papers and answers before the exam’s commencement, upon payment of a premium.
In connection with this case, the CBI recently conducted searches at 12 locations in Surat, Amreli, Navsari, Mumbai, and Buxar. The search operations targeted 15 individuals, including 10 Railways officials, one CRPF head constable, and private individuals. These searches resulted in the retrieval of digital evidence and incriminating documents.
Pertinent to mention, Aptech was trending for all wrong reasons on social media in Kashmir, with various sections of society criticising LG led administration’s move of selecting the blacklisted Aptech for conducting Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) exams.
Many political parties expressed their displeasure over the selection of Aptech company for conducting JKSSB exams.
Meanwhile, various JKSSB aspirants also expressed their anguish over the move and appealed to the LG administration to look into the matter and remove “tainted” APTECH and hire a more credible organisation to conduct exams smoothly.
