The Economic Offences Unit has registered a fresh FIR following the disappearance of two question paper booklets from an examination centre in Khagaul during the second shift of the Bihar Sub-Inspector Main Examination. Based on a complaint lodged by candidate Babita Kumari and her subsequent questioning, investigators found that an unidentified individual breached the chain of custody prior to the commencement of the test to obtain the question papers illegally. The agency stated that the booklets were subsequently sold to a solver gang for a substantial sum of money. Invoking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Bihar Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, the FIR treats the compromise of confidentiality and custody as a serious cognisable and non-bailable offence. The Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission has already cancelled the examination following an initial preliminary report, and the ongoing probe has been handed over to EOU ASP Kumar Indraprakash.
Broken Paper Seals Spark Protests in Exam Hall
According to the complaint by Babita Kumari, paper seals on two question booklets were found tampered with before testing began in Room No. 10 at Balika Higher Secondary School. The hall was arranged to accommodate 48 candidates, two of whom were absent. When examinees noticed the unsealed booklets, centre authorities attempted to pacify them by redistributing the papers intended for the absent candidates. Although candidates raised immediate objections, the centre superintendent allowed the test to proceed after assuring them that any genuine irregularities found within the booklets would be handled later. The incident prompted serious concerns regarding the integrity of the question papers and the physical security protocols enforced at the centre.
Investigators Identify Compromised Booklet Numbers
An eight-member Special Investigation Team led by EOU SP (Administration) Rajesh Kumar confirmed that the breached paper seals belonged to booklet numbers 22514351 and 22514352. The team subsequently summoned centre superintendent Mehre Darakhshan and invigilator Vinod Kumar to the EOU office, where their statements were formally recorded. Investigators are currently cross-referencing these testimonies with examination logs and available video footage to establish who had physical access to the sensitive materials before candidates entered the hall and precisely where the security protocol collapsed.
Hunt Underway for Key Conspirators and Solver Gang
The investigation has now widened to track down the primary accused and reconstruct the entire movement of the question papers leading up to the examination. Investigators are focusing on identifying the conduits who transported the stolen booklets to the solver gang, along with determining the exact financial transactions involved in the trade. With the lodging of the fresh FIR, the probe looks beyond the missing booklets to dismantle the wider leak network, assess the illicit financial gains, and identify all individuals who compromised the examination process.
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