A special CBI court on Monday sentenced eight former officials of Indian Railways to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in connection with a 23-year-old examination paper leak case. The court also imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on each of the convicts.
₹50,000 to ₹1 Lakh Collected from Aspirants
The case pertains to the leak of the question paper for the recruitment examination for the post of Probationary Assistant Station Master, conducted by Western Railway in August 2002. According to the CBI, the accused leaked the paper and allegedly collected between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh from candidates appearing for the test held on August 18, 2002.
The scandal gained prominence due to the direct involvement of serving railway officers. The accused were posted in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Anand at the time of the incident.
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Case Filed in 2002, Chargesheet in 2003
The case was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 17, 2002, following a complaint lodged by the then Chief Vigilance Inspector of Western Railway, Ahmedabad. The CBI filed a chargesheet against nine individuals, including eight railway officers and one private person, on July 28, 2003. The private individual passed away during the trial.
The court’s verdict, delivered after over two decades of legal proceedings, underscores the enduring nature of accountability in public service misconduct cases.