BJP, Congress play blame game amid alleged paper leak in Rajasthan SI recruitment exams

The Rajasthan government might cancel the 2021 sub-inspector recruitment exam after it was revealed that there was a widespread paper leak, which has also led to 66 arrests so far.

The government could use the state police's special operations group (SOG) report submitted to the home department to cancel the hiring test, sources said to TOI on Tuesday.

SOG is probing multiple allegations of rigged hiring exams for teachers, SIs, junior engineers, and forest guards, all managed by Rajasthan Public Service Commission.



Some members of the commission allegedly leaked papers for money and to favour relatives.

"There are 700 SIs from 2021 batch undergoing training at Rajasthan Police Academy. Of them, 38 have been arrested," a senior SOG officer said to TOI. "Four who cleared the exam but didn't join training have also been held," added the officer.

“We have also arrested 24 members of the paper leak gangs, including two former RPSC members, bringing the total number of arrests to 66," an officer said, adding more trainees may have used unfair means to pass the exam. "The leak was widespread. The investigation is ongoing," he added.

The scandal has led to a political blame game amid calls to clean-up the RPSC.

Ramu Ram Raika, a former RPSC member (2018-2022), was arrested on Sunday for allegedly providing the SI exam paper to his daughter and son. The two ranked fifth and 40th, respectively. Raika's daughter and son, both trainees, have also been arrested along with more people.


Raika allegedly obtained the leaked paper through Babu Lal Katara, another former RPSC member arrested last year for leaking the 2022 senior teacher recruitment exam paper.

BJP accused Congress of enabling paper leaks during its tenure from 2018-2023.

"Raika's arrest is a clear example of how the careers of youth were destroyed under Congress govt. It is the zero-tolerance policy of Bhajan Lal Sharma's govt against paper leaks that has put these culprits behind bars," BJP's Laxmikant Bhardwaj said.

Congress spokesperson Satyendra Singh Raghav said, "They blame Congress for the paper leaks, but the key figure in the scandal has turned out to be a BJP man."