Based on a tip-off, police detained a suspect and recovered a copy of the question paper of the exam early Sunday morning, after which the Gujarat Panchayat Service Selection Board decided to “postpone” the exam in the wider interest of the candidates, the board said in a statement.The police were investigating the matter, it said.“The junior clerk (administrative/accounting) exam was to be conducted in different districts between 11 am and 12 noon on January 29. As per the information received from the police early Sunday morning, they detained a suspect and upon his interrogation seized a copy of the question paper from his possession,” the board said in the statement. Responsibility of Investigation in the case has been given to Gujarat ATS.
The board expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the candidates and informed them not to go to the examination centres.“The examination will be conducted afresh at the earliest, for which the board will issue a new advertisement,” it said.
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi claimed this was the 15th government competitive exam which was cancelled in the last 12 years because of question paper leak.
“The government claims to be taking strict action, but the main culprits have not even been arrested. The government is playing with the future of youth of the state,” he alleged.
Gujarat Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil blamed that in the state 22 paper leak case happened and more than 9 lakh applications are affected due to it.
Doshi claimed the exam, for which the first advertisement was issued in 2016, was cancelled for the third time.
Details of Paper Leaks in Gujarat
● 2014: GPSC Chief Officer Paper
● 2015: Talati Paper
● 2016: Talati Exam Papers conducted by District Panchayat Leaked in Gandhinagar, Modasa, Surendranagar Districts.
● 2018 : TAT -Teacher Paper
● 2018 : Mains -Sevika Paper
● 2018: Nayab Chitnis Paper
● 2018: LRD-Lok Rakshak Dal
● 2019: Non-Secretariat Clerk
● 2020: Corona Period
● 2021: Head Clerk
● 2021: DGVCL Vidyut Asst.
● 2021: Sub Auditor
● 2022: Forest Guard
● 2023: Junior Clerk.
Gujarat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president Isudan Gadhvi took to Twitter to target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state over the paper leak issue.
Paper leak suspects Bhaskar Chaudhary director Stackwise Technology, Vadodara and his wife Riddhi Chaudhary were arrested by Gujarat ATS. Chaudhary family hails from Jharkhand. They are running coaching classes of competitive exams in Vadodara. Chaudhary was earlier arrested by CBI. Suspects stayed in Vadodara based hotel. They were arrested by Gujarat ATS by 1:30 in night. Future of 9 lakh applicants is in dark and feel very frustrated with such type of events.