[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 17 Nov: Shocking details are emerging out of the investigation into the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) question paper leakage case.
Former APPSC deputy controller of examination, Taket Jerang, is said to be the kingpin of the racket, which is believed to have started when he joined the special recruitment cell of the APPSC in July 2016. Jerang started his career in the commission in 1992, when he had joined as an upper division clerk.
Even though he was initially arrested for his involvement in the AE civil (mains) question paper leakage case, as the investigation grew, more arrests have been made, and several examinations conducted under him are now under the scanner.
Circle Officer Opet Mibang and Upper Siang DFCSO Minoty Borang Saroh – both of whom were arrested last month by the SIC – initially could not clear the civil service exam, despite buying question papers in advance.
“Being deputy controller of the exam, Taket Jerang had access to the answer sheets. He got to know that Opet Mibang, Minoty Borang Saroh, and Anam Jerang had all failed despite being provided with the question papers in advance. As he had taken money from the candidates, he came up with the idea to let them rewrite the exam, so that they could clear it,” informed an official.
“Opet Mibang rewrote the exam at Chandni Hotel in Naharlagun. Taket Jerang got a Xerox copy of the answer sheet of the topper, which he had taken from inside the confidential room of the commission, and gave it to Opet Mibang, who copied it,” the official said.
Mibang’s family reportedly gave a traditional Adi bead, worth around Rs 50 lakhs, to Taket Jerang for providing the question paper. When she could not clear the exam, Jerang agreed to let her rewrite it, but demanded an additional Rs 10 lakhs for it, and the family of Opet Mibang paid it. The DFCSO, Minoty Borang, also failed the examination but rewrote the examination using the same method as Opet Mibang.
Another aspirant, Anam Jerang, also failed to clear the mains examination. “Taket Jerang used a similar method and got him to rewrite the exam. Even though he cleared the mains after rewriting it, he failed in the viva voce,” the official added.
In the latest development, the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state police arrested three persons, identified as Taloka Darang, Posi Gamlin and Eagle Sora, on 14 and 15 November. They were arrested in connection with the junior engineer (JE) examination conducted by the APPSC in 2021.
Taloka Darang is the father of Karik Darang, who managed to pass the JE examination in 2021, conducted by the APPSC. Karik is posted as JE in the RWD in Pangin, and is currently hiding.
“Taloka Darang got the contact number of Taket Jerang from a clan-based WhatsApp group. Just days before the exam, Darang called Jerang and asked him whether he could help his son to pass the JE examination. Taket Jerang agreed and was paid Rs 20 lakhs. The question paper was received in Naharlagun,” the official informed.
Eagle Sora also passed the same exam and was posted in the RWD in Tirbin at the time of his arrest.
Posi Gamlin is a block education officer, and the investigation agency believes that he played a role in the scam.
“Posi Gamlin was paid Rs 45 lakhs by Eagle Sora. Even though Sora has confessed to paying Gamlin the money, the latter is still denying it. In fact, Posi Gamlin is not cooperating with the investigation agency,” the official said.
The whole case came to light after Gyamar Padung, a candidate for the APPSC examination, had on 29 August filed a complaint at the Itanagar police station, alleging that he suspected that the AE (civil) examination paper had been leaked out.
Following this, several FIRs were lodged by aspirants, raising question over various examinations, including the ones conducted by the APPSC, in the last few years.
The SIC has broadened the scope of investigation, based on the FIRs filed by the aspirants.
The AE (civil) examination paper leakage case is being investigated by the CBI.
