Amid oppn protests over exam paper leak, TSPSC cancels more tests

HYDERABAD: Amid protests by opposition parties and students' groups over the alleged question paper leak of a recruitment test, the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on Friday cancelled the Group-I preliminary exam and two other tests.

The Commission said in a release that the decision to cancel the Group-I exam held in October last year and the AEE and DAO tests (held this year) was taken after examining the report of the SIT of Hyderabad Police and an internal enquiry conducted by the Commission.

It was decided to conduct the Group-I Preliminary Examination on June 11 again, the release said adding the dates for two other examinations would be notified shortly.

The Commission on March 15 had cancelled the Assistant Engineers (AE) exam held on March 5, following allegations of the question paper leak.

Nine people, including an Assistant Section Officer in the TSPSC, two candidates and a police constable were arrested on March 13 over their alleged involvement in the data breach, for stealing and leaking of TSPSC's Assistant Engineer (Civil) examination question paper. The exam was held on March 5.

The prime accused in the case had appeared for the Group-I preliminary examination and allegedly secured 103 marks, though he did not get the final selection. The Congress, BJP and different students' organisations, including ABVP, SFI, have been protesting, demanding an inquiry by a sitting judge and stringent punishment to those responsible for leaking the question paper.

Telangana BJP president and party MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar and other party leaders were today prevented by police from marching towards the TSPSC office from the Telangana Martyrs Memorial' in front of the state Assembly. They were taken into preventive custody and later released.

Youth activists of Congress were today taken into preventive custody by police when they attempted to take out a rally to the TSPSC office. Former IPS officer and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Telangana unit president RS Praveen Kumar, who began an indefinite fast, seeking a CBI probe into the paper leak, at the party's office here today was shifted to his house by the police. Kumar said he will continue the fast at his house.

He also sought cancellation of Group-I prelims and other exams conducted by TSPSC in the last one year and said the TSPSC Chariman should step down.

Meanwhile, YSR Telangana party chief Y S Sharmila also demanded a probe either by CBI or a sitting judge into the paper leak issue.

Sharmila planned to lay siege to the TSPSC office, but police intercepted her vehicle near her house itself.

Sharmila said she wanted to submit a representation at the TSPSC office but was denied permission.

Responding to allegations on social media that one of the accused in the question paper leak case is a BJP activist, State Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao claimed that the BJP seems to have hatched a conspiracy to destroy the lives of innocent youth.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Hyderabad Police had taken over the case of question paper leak.

Police are investigating if there any more people involved in the case and whether any other question papers have leaked.