College Professor Becomes Third Arrest in Uttarakhand Recruitment Scam
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made a significant breakthrough in the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC) exam paper leak case with the arrest of an assistant professor from Tehri Garhwal district. The accused, identified as Suman, an assistant professor at Shaheed Srimati Hansa Dhanai College in Agrora, becomes the third person to be apprehended in this growing scandal that has shaken the state's recruitment process.
How the Paper Leak Conspiracy Unfolded
According to the CBI's detailed investigation, the professor allegedly played a crucial role in solving the leaked question paper during the examination itself. The central agency revealed that during the September 21 recruitment test, a candidate managed to smuggle an iPhone into the examination center and photographed three pages of the question paper.
These images were then sent to the candidate's sister, who subsequently forwarded them to the main accused, Khalid Malik. The CBI investigation found that Professor Suman assisted Malik in solving portions of the question paper while the candidate was still inside the examination hall, creating an unfair advantage through this sophisticated cheating operation.
The agency stated in their press release: "After thorough examination of the accused (Khalid Malik) and his sister in police custody and evaluation of the mobile phones and other evidence, the role of the Assistant Professor has come on record."
Protests and Political Fallout
The scandal came to light when screenshots of three pages of the question paper began circulating on social media around 1:30 pm, shortly after the examination concluded. Bobby Panwar, president of Swabhiman Morcha, was among the first to expose the leak by posting the images online and claiming that Professor Suman had solved the paper for a candidate.
The revelation triggered widespread protests by job aspirants across Uttarakhand that lasted for an entire week. The growing public outrage forced Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to intervene, ultimately leading to the state government recommending a CBI probe into the matter.
As a direct consequence of the paper leak, the recruitment test was declared null and void, disappointing thousands of genuine candidates who had appeared for graduate-level posts across all districts of the state.
The CBI has confirmed that the arrested professor will be produced before a designated court after completing mandatory medical examinations. This case highlights the continuing challenges facing recruitment processes in India and the sophisticated methods employed by cheating syndicates to undermine merit-based selection systems.
