UP Police Constable Exam Paper Leak: Government Doctor, An Ace Box-Cutter Is Key Accused

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), investigating the UP police constable exam paper leak, has submitted the first chargesheet in a Lucknow court. The 900-page chargesheet names 18 arrested accused, including government doctor Shubham Mandal, known for his skill in opening question paper boxes without breaking the seal.

Among those named in the chargesheet are the mastermind Ravi Attri and his associates Rajeev Nayan Mishra, Goldy, Vikram Pahal, Satish Dhankad, Rohit Pandey, Abhishek Shukla, and Shivam Giri.

Mandal, 27, stationed at a government-run primary health center in Bihar’s Katihar district, was identified as a key figure in the paper leak based on statements from other accused during interrogation. He was arrested by the STF on March 17. Mandal, a native of Patna and an alumnus of Nalanda Medical College, had previously been implicated in a NEET paper leak case in 2017 along with his friend Bittu, who graduated from Patna Medical College in 2021.

According to STF investigators, Mandal was introduced to Ravi Attri through Rajeev Nayan Mishra and played a crucial role in opening the question paper boxes stored at a warehouse in Ahmedabad. He was paid Rs 2 lakh and given an air ticket for a Patna-Ahmedabad flight. Mandal accessed the warehouse on Feb 5 and photographed the Code 2 question paper. A similar operation was conducted on Feb 8 for the Code 1 paper.

After opening the boxes, the question papers were distributed to gang handlers in Manesar (Haryana), Baghpat (UP), Delhi, and Rewa (Madhya Pradesh). Aspirants who had paid for the paper memorized the answers at resorts in Rewa and Manesar a day before the examination. The exam, which took place on Feb 17 and 18 for 60,244 police constable positions, was canceled by the government on March 25, prompting the STF probe.

In the subsequent crackdown, 402 accused were arrested from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. STF sources have indicated that a supplementary chargesheet will be filed soon.