Srinagar, Sep 13: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday carried out searches at 36 places across the country in connection with irregularities in the sub-inspector recruitment examination conducted by the Jammu & Kashmir Service Selection Board.

A spokesman of the CBI said that searches were spread across Jammu, Srinagar, Karnal, Mahendergarh, Rewari, Gandhidham, Delhi, Ghaziabad and Bangalore at the premises of then officials of the Services Selection Board, gang members domiciled in Haryana, certain teachers, some serving/retired officials of J&K Police including a deputy superintendent of police and paramilitary CRPF.

“Incriminating documents and digital evidences have so far been recovered during searches,” the spokesman said.

He said the premises of then chairman SSB, Khalid Jahangir and then controller of examination, SSB Ashok Kumar were also searched as part of an ongoing investigation in the scam.

This is the second time that CBI has carried out searches in the case. On August 5, searches were conducted at 30 locations including at Jammu, Srinagar, and Bengaluru.

On March 27, 2022, the SSB conducted written test for SI posts of J&K Police.  Subsequently, the results were declared on June 4, 2022. After candidates leveled allegations of malpractices in the examination, the J&K Government had constituted an inquiry committee to look into the same.

On August 3, the CBI registered a case against 33 accused including then medical officer, BSF Frontier Headquarters, Paloura; then Member, JKSSB; then under Secretary, JKSSB; then Section, JKSSB; ex-official of CRPF; ASI of J&K Police; owner of a coaching centre, Akhnoor; private company based at Bengaluru; private persons and unknown others on the allegations of irregularities in written examination for the posts of sub-inspectors in the J&K Police.

It was alleged that the accused entered into a conspiracy with officials of JKSSB, Bengaluru based private company, beneficiary candidates & others, and caused gross irregularities in conduct of written examination for the posts of sub-inspectors.

It was further alleged that there was an abnormally high percentage of selected candidates from Jammu, Rajouri & Samba. Violation of rules by JKSSB was allegedly found in assigning the task of setting question paper to Bengaluru based private company

The CBI spokesman said that investigation has revealed the alleged payment of Rs 20 to 30 lakh(approx) by willing candidates and their families to the accused for accessing the question paper before commencement of the examination.

“In this regard, involvement of a gang domiciled in Haryana, certain teachers of J&K, some serving/retired personnel of CRPF, J&K Police and JKSSB has allegedly come to light, ” he said.