CBI busts ECR departmental ‘paper leak scam’, several detained

New delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted an alleged departmental examination paper leak scam under the East Central Railway in Mughal Sarai following a raid that was conducted on the intervening night of March 3 and 4.

An FIR has been registered against a Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (DDE) (Operations) and eight other Railway officials, along with some unknown candidates and others.

The ECR had set a departmental exam on March 4, for the post of Chief Loco Inspectors. At surprise checks conducted in three different locations at Mughal Sarai, 17 candidates were detected to be carrying photocopies of handwritten question papers.

Investigations have found that the accused Senior DEE was in charge of getting the question paper prepared. He is said to have written the questions in English and handed them over to a loco pilot, who translated them into Hindi and gave them to an Office Superintendent (Training). The superintendent is said to have distributed the leaked question paper among the candidates with the assistance of other employees.

CBI has detained the Senior DEE and other Railway staff for allegedly taking money and distributing the leaked question papers. Seventeen departmental candidates, who are all working as loco pilots, allegedly paid money for the question paper and were caught red-handed in the overnight raid. A total of 26 Railway officials have been detained so far in the case.

Eight locations were searched, resulting in the recovery of Rs 1.17 crore in cash.

Among those listed in the FIR are Sushant Parashar, Senior DEE (Operations) stationed at DRM Office, DDU; Niraj Kumar Verma, Chief Office Superintendent at DDU; Raj Narayan Singh Yadav, LPG at HQ DDU; Ajit Kumar Singh, Chief Loco Inspector at DDU; and Anish Kumar, Loco Pilot Shunter at DDU. A number of loco pilots were also taken into custody.