Paper Leak – BARC Technical Assistant Arrested in Bihar AEDO Exam Investigation
Paper Leak – Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has arrested a technical assistant employed at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai as part of its ongoing investigation into the alleged Assistant Education Development Officer (AEDO) recruitment examination paper leak. The accused, identified as Roshan Kumar from Kankariya village in Bihar’s Nalanda district, is suspected of playing a significant role in obtaining and distributing the examination answer key before the test was conducted.
Arrest Conducted During Mumbai Operation
According to officials, the arrest followed specific intelligence inputs received by the EOU. A three-member investigation team travelled from Patna to Mumbai on Monday and, with assistance from the local police, detained Kumar from the BARC campus. He was later produced before a local court, where investigators secured transit remand to bring him to Patna for further questioning. Officials believe his interrogation could uncover additional details about the alleged network behind the examination malpractice.
Investigators Trace Activities at Examination Centre
The inquiry has revealed that Kumar was present at the Sohsarai examination centre in Nalanda on April 17, the day the AEDO recruitment test was conducted. Investigators allege that he had access to the answer key before the examination commenced. According to the case records, he handed the material to Kunal, whose wife, Shweta Kumari, was appearing for the examination.
The investigation further suggests that Kunal later transferred the answer key to Chandan Kumar and Rahul Kumar, both associated with a biometric services agency. They were allegedly instructed to pass the answers to Shweta Kumari, who had been assigned seat number 25 in one of the examination rooms.
Disguise Allegedly Used to Avoid Suspicion
Investigators have also claimed that Kumar arrived at the examination venue wearing a T-shirt displaying the logo of a company responsible for installing jammer systems at the centre. Officials suspect this appearance may have been intended to help him move around the premises without attracting attention.
However, staff members stationed at the examination centre reportedly caught Kunal, Chandan Kumar and Rahul Kumar while the alleged exchange was taking place. The police were immediately informed, leading to the registration of the case and the beginning of a wider investigation.
Examination Cancelled Following Multiple Allegations
The AEDO recruitment examination was organised in nine phases between April 14 and April 21. After allegations surfaced regarding leaked question papers and the alleged use of Bluetooth devices to facilitate cheating, authorities cancelled the entire recruitment examination.
The recruitment drive had been launched to fill 935 vacancies and attracted nearly 11 lakh applicants from across the state. The cancellation affected a large number of candidates awaiting the recruitment process.
Probe Expands Across Multiple Districts
Police have registered separate FIRs in districts including Munger, Nalanda, Gaya, Begusarai, Vaishali and Samastipur as part of the ongoing investigation. According to EOU officials, more than three dozen individuals have already been arrested in connection with the alleged examination fraud.
Investigators believe the latest arrest points to the existence of an interstate network involved in organised examination paper leak operations. Authorities have also identified Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura and nearby districts as areas where such rackets have reportedly remained active for some time. The EOU has indicated that further questioning of the accused may help identify additional individuals linked to the alleged conspiracy.