Thane/New Delhi: The Thane police claimed to have busted a recruitment racket following question papers of an examination conducted by the Army recruitment board were leaked.
A total of 18 suspects, including two former Army officials and a serving homeguard official, have been arrested during raids in Nashik, Pune, Nagpur and Goa since Saturday midnight.
The recruitment board has countermanded examinations in six centres in Kamptee, Nagpur, Ahmednagar, Ahmedabad, Goa and Kirkee, sources said. However, defence sources said exams only in Pune zone were cancelled.
The examinations were held on Sunday at 52 centres across the country for a number of posts, including those of soldier clerk, strongman and soldier tradesman. The Army has ordered an internal inquiry and further action will be taken based on the findings.
The Thane police said 200 students who possessed question papers were also detained for questioning.
The Thane police had received information a couple of days back from an institute which conducts coaching classes for Army job aspirants that some city students were to be given the question papers in advance for a price.
Police officials laid a trap and caught the students and middlemen from lodges and other places with copies of the question papers.
The middlemen had also arranged for fake domicile and residence proof for students hailing from other places so as to enable them to appear for the exams in that zone.
The police suspects that the papers were leaked either from the press where they were printed or from distribution centres.
The Thane police is exchanging information with the director of the Army recruitment exams and also the military intelligence wing. The papers were leaked to aspirants through WhatsApp, a PTI report said.
The coaching centres allegedly sold the question papers at Rs 2-3 lakh per candidate, said police sources.
