jammu and Kashmir: ED arrests another accused in JKSSB SI exam paper leak case

The Enforcement Directorate nabbed an absconding accused in connection with the 2022 JKSSB Subinspector recruitment exam paper leak reported PTIAnil Kumar 31 a resident of Lahroda in Mahendragarh district of Haryana was arrested by the EDJammu on Wednesday reported PTI He was booked under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA After being produced in the court of special judge anticorruption CBI cases in Jammu on Thursday morning he was sent to a fiveday custodyThree weeks ago the alleged mastermind of the 2022 paper leak was also arrested On June 24 the ED arrested 43yearold Yatin Yadav a native of Haryana and the alleged kingpin of the leakThe Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board JKSSB subinspector recruitment exam was held on March 27 2022 However the selected list which included 1200 candidates along with 1300 junior engineers and 1000 finance account assistants was cancelled by the administration in July following allegations of paper leak and malpracticeAs per the PTI report The CBI was handed over the case and it had filed a charge sheet against 33 accused including Yadav on November 12 2022 The ED case stems from the CBI FIRAntipaper leak law comes into effect applies to public exams like NEET NET and moreAmid the ongoing row over NEET and UGC NET examinations the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024 came into effect on Friday reoported PTI The act aims to prevent unfair means in public examinations and common entrance tests held across the countryThe public examinations in the Act refer to examinations conducted by authorities notified by the central government As per the PTI report these include the Union Public Service Commission Staff Selection Commission Railway Recruitment Board National Testing Agency Institute of Banking Personnel Selection and Departments of the central government and their attached offices for recruitmentThe Act also prohibits disclosing examrelated confidential information before time and unauthorised people from entering exam centres to create disruptions The offences will be punishable with imprisonment between three and five years and a fine up to Rs 10 lakhAll offences under the Bill will be cognisable nonbailable and noncompoundableAs per the PTI report a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions said In exercise of the powers conferred by subsection 2 of section 1 of the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024 1 of 2024 the central government hereby appoints the 21st day of June 2024 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into forceThe Bill was passed by the two Houses of Parliament in the Budget session which concluded on February 10 It seeks to prevent the use of unfair means in public examinations and bring greater transparency fairness and credibilityOn February 13 President Droupadi Murmu gave her nod to the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Bill 2024 which aims to check cheating in government recruitment examsThe NEETUG 2024 exam was conducted on May 5 and its results were declared on June 4 ahead of its scheduled announcement date of June 14The NEETUG examination conducted by the National Testing Agency NTA paves the way for admission to MBBS BDS AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the countryOn June 13 the NTA informed the Supreme Court that the scorecards of 1563 candidates who were awarded grace marks in the NEETUG 2024 exam would be cancelled and these candidates would have an option to reappear for the exam on June 23 the results of which will be declared before June 30 or forgo the compensatory marks given for the loss of time