Jaipur, May 12 (IANS) Following the cancellation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test examination, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday raised questions over the handling of the alleged paper leak case by the Rajasthan government and the Special Operations Group.
Gehlot said the Special Operations Group did not register a First Information Report despite complaints and arrests linked to the alleged leak.
“The Special Operations Group failed to register even a single First Information Report. People are questioning why a formal case was not registered and why a report was not submitted,” Gehlot said.
He further said the matter should have been handled more transparently.
“I can state with certainty that the Special Operations Group did not allow the matter to come fully into the public domain. Why did the Special Operations Group refrain from registering a First Information Report? How can an investigation proceed without formally registering a case?” he asked.
Questioning the Centre over repeated examination leaks, Gehlot also criticised the PM Modi-led government, saying greater focus should be given to preventing such incidents.
“The PM Modi-led government should also focus on preventing paper leak incidents. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should pay attention to why papers are repeatedly getting leaked,” Gehlot said.
The former Chief Minister said the National Testing Agency’s cancellation of the examination reflected the seriousness of the issue.
“The National Testing Agency has now cancelled the examination, and this should prompt all concerned authorities to review the matter seriously,” he said.
Commenting on the alleged role of coaching institutes, Gehlot said: “Coaching centres operate in various locations, and their names often surface whenever such incidents occur. However, the complete facts will emerge only after the investigation is concluded.”
Gehlot alleged that the Rajasthan government had prior intelligence inputs regarding the matter and that the Special Operations Group had already initiated arrests.
“The state government had received prior intelligence regarding this matter, following which the Special Operations Group had commenced making arrests. It is alleged that the examination paper was printed here in the state,” he said.
He added that the Rajasthan government should have taken proactive measures and coordinated with the Centre.
“Had the state government informed the Central government and taken a joint decision, the entire process could have been handled in a more effective manner,” he said.
He further questioned why no First Information Report was registered in the matter.
“Who instructed the Special Operations Group not to register a First Information Report? The reasons behind this should be clarified,” he said.
According to Gehlot, students began raising complaints about the alleged paper leak immediately after the May 3 examination.
“The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test examination was conducted on May 3. Students began lodging complaints regarding the alleged paper leak from the very next day, but their grievances were not acted upon immediately,” he said.
He added that students wrote to the National Testing Agency, which subsequently informed the Director General of Police.
The matter was then handed over to the Special Operations Group, leading to the arrest of several individuals.
–IANS
arc/dan