ADRE question paper leak: Photographer, invigilator, candidate held

way2barak, Sept 17: Dhemaji Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the alleged leak of used question papers from the recently conducted Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE).

The arrests were made on Tuesday, following the viral circulation of a leaked question paper on social media.

The accused have been identified as Mangal Singh Basumatary, a photographer, Manohar Narzary, an invigilator at Upendra National Academy Examination Centre, and Dwijen Boro, a candidate involved in the scandal.

Basumatary, the first to be arrested, was one of the photographers appointed by the Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) at the Upendra National Academy in Simen Chapori, Dhemaji district.

According to Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh, Basumatary confessed to photographing the used question paper after the examination ended at 1:30 pm.

He reportedly circulated the images to several individuals, who are now under investigation. Authorities have seized Basumatary’s mobile devices as part of the probe.

DGP Singh also indicated that the incident could be part of a larger “criminal conspiracy” aimed at defaming the state’s recruitment process.

“Further investigation is underway to ascertain the criminal conspiracy behind this act to defame the examination process,” Singh said in a social media post, on Monday.

As news of the leak spread, concerned compounded among the candidates about its potential impact on the examination results.

However, some believe that the timing of the leak, which occurred after the exam, may not significantly affect the outcome.

“I appeared for the ADRE at a centre in Mirza, where SEBA-appointed photographers documented the invigilators tearing off the seals of the question papers. Since the papers are already uploaded on the State Level Recruitment Commission (SLRC) website, I don’t think this will have much of an effect on the results,” said one candidate, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier, the leaked question paper, identified by booklet number 1035034, surfaced on social media within 24 hours of the exam’s conclusion on September 15.

Over 11,23,204 candidates appeared for the Grade III recruitment exam, held at 2,305 centres across Assam with more than 70,000 invigilators overseeing the process. The investigation into the leak continues.