Intensify crackdown on police recruitment paper leak: Punjab CM

Chandigarh, Sep 11 (IANS) As the Punjab Police department geared up for the next stage of its mega recruitment drive, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday directed the DGP to intensify the crackdown on leak of exam papers after six people were reportedly arrested for their suspected involvement in cheating during the written test on August 22.

The directives come ahead of the commencement of written exams for head constables (investigation cadre), to be conducted from September 12 to 19 for 75,544 applicants for 787 vacancies, followed by exams for constables (district and armed cadres), slated for September 25-26 with a whopping 470,775 candidates having applied for 4,358 vacancies.

Following this, in a first-of-its-kind move by any state police in the country, another recruitment drive will take place in October for appointing 2,600 uniformed specialists in the Punjab Police Department.

The Chief Minister asked DGP Dinkar Gupta to further intensify the security measures at the examination centres in view of reported attempts by recruitment fraudsters and scamsters to sabotage and subvert the examination process.

Jammers and other electronic gadgets were being installed in all examination centres to prevent internet or bluetooth connectivity, said Dinkar Gupta, in the wake of the arrest of six persons by Khanna Police in connection with cheating through bluetooth connectivity during the written test for sub-inspectors held in Chandigarh and across Punjab from August 17 to 24.

More arrests are likely in the case, he said, adding that any person, whether candidate of a tout or a professional scamster found involved in any examination related malpractices will be immediately booked and arrested.

Gurpreet Kaur Deo, Chairperson of the Central Recruitment Board for Constables, said strict protocols have been laid down for securing the areas outside the test centres as well as within the venues, and multiple rounds of physical frisking will be carried out, apart from use of various types of electronic and digital gadgets.

The Punjab Police mega recruitment drive is being conducted through six recruitment boards, each constituted under an ADGP-rank officer.