TSPSC cancels assistant engineer exam, SIT begins probe into question paper leak case

A fresh date for the exam, which was held on 5 March, will be announced soon. Earlier, nine people were arrested on charges of leaking the question paper.

ByAjay Tomar

Published Mar 16, 2023 | 7:28 AMUpdatedMar 16, 2023 | 7:28 AM

TSPSC cancels the Assistant Engineer exam, SIT begins probe by questioning TSPSC officials

The Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on 15 March, Wednesday cancelled the Assistant Engineer Exam at the heart of the question paper leak case.

Nine accused, including two TSPSC employees, were arrested in the case on 13 March by the Hyderabad City police.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Central Crime Station (CCS), team started its investigation on Wednesday after the case was transferred to it from Begum Bazar police station.

Related: 9 held so far in TSPSC examination question paper leak case

Fresh date to be announced

The TSPSC cancelled the exam for the post of municipal assistant engineers, technical officers and junior technical officers in several engineering departments.

“Commission after careful examination of the FIR No. 95/2023, Dt : 14/03/2023, registered by the Central Crime Station, Hyderabad District, with regard to the leakage of question papers, has decided to CANCEL the examination held on 5/3/2023. The fresh date for conducting the exam will be announced later,” the TSPSC said.

Related: BRS alleges accused in question paper leak case ‘works for BJP’

In September last year, the TSPSC had announced recruitment to 837 vacancies.

Earlier, the TSPSC had terminated the IT wing employee A Raja Shekhar Reddy, who assisted the kingpin, Praveen Kumar.

Kumar, who was Personal Assistant (P) to the TSPSC Assistant Secretary Anita Ramachandran, was suspended by the Commission.

SIT examines the computer system of TSPSC officials

Additional Commissioner (Crimes and SIT) AR Srinivas, who is heading the investigation, told reporters that the SIT and the cybercrime cops inspected the computer of the commission staff.

They also questioned the employees who manage the question paper section of the recruitment exams.

The SIT officials also examined the computers of the TSPSC chairman and secretary, among other staff.

“We will be filing a petition seeking custody of the nine accused in the court. When we get the custody They will be questioned by us to get further details,” Srinivas told South First.

An official, on the condition of anonymity, told South First that Praveen and Raja Shekhar allegedly accessed the system of a colleague to check an error and stole the IP address, user ID and passwords to gain access to the confidential files.

Fallout of TSPSC paper leak

The main accused Praveen Kumar sold the papers to his friend Renuka, a school teacher, and her husband, Lavdyavath Dhakya, a technical assistant in the Vikarabad RD department.

The couple later sold it to others with the help of Kethavath Srinivas, a police constable from Medchal.

The cops have invoked IPC Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating) and 120 (B) (party to criminal conspiracy) against them.

They have also been booked under the IT Act and the Prevention of Examinations Malpractices Act for stealing the question papers.