UP STF makes first arrest in police recruitment paper leak case

The Uttar Pradesh STF (special task force), which is probing the state's police recruitment paper leak case, made its first arrest in this connection today.

According to reports, an official team arrested Neeraj Yadav, who had sent the answers to aspirants on WhatsApp. Yadav is a resident of Ballia. Officials said Yadav was sent the answers from another accused in Mathura. STF officials said they had started zeroing in on the second accused too.

It may be recalled that on Saturday, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered the cancellation of the police recruitment examination "to maintain the sanctity of the screening exercise", and directed the STF to probe threadbare all allegations of paper leaks.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday protested against the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over question paper leaks of various recruitment exams and the extra-judicial bulldozer actions against "innocent" people.

Of the 50 lakh candidates for the exam, over 43 lakh had appeared in four shifts held across two days for over 60,400 posts of constables in UP Police. In all, over six lakh students from outside the state took the exam, which was held on 17 and 18 February.

An FIR was registered on Friday following protests by candidates in Lucknow and some other places alleging paper leaks. The chief minister, after a meeting with top officials, issued the cancellation order. "There can be no compromise with the sanctity of examinations. Those who play with the hard work of the youth will not be spared under any circumstances. Strictest action will follow against such unruly elements," the chief minister posted on X.

Following Adityanath's directive, the home department issued an order to cancel the examination. "The recruitment board has been instructed to proactively pursue legal measures, including initiation of FIRs, in response to any instances of negligence," the order stated.

With IANS inputs