The Special Operation Group (SOG) have arrested a former Congress Councillor Naresh Dev alias N.D. Saran in connection with the 2020 Rajasthan Forest Guard recruitment examination leak case, officials said.
His arrest follows the questioning of Kanwararam Jat, who was taken into custody on March 12 and revealed Saran’s involvement.
Since then, the SOG had been actively questioning him.
SOG Additional Director General (ADG) V.K. Singh confirmed that Saran was apprehended from his residence in Barmer on Friday evening and formally arrested on Saturday.
Congress leader Saran was previously the Student Union President of Government College Barmer.
As of now, the SOG have arrested 27 individuals in connection with the paper leak case.
During his questioning, Congress leader N.D. Saran confessed to striking a deal of Rs 6 lakh per candidate, collecting a total of Rs 42 lakh from seven candidates.
The SOG is continuing its investigation based on the Congress leader’s statements.
SOG ADG Singh revealed that N.D. Saran sent all seven candidates from Barmer to Udaipur in an Innova car to study the leaked examination paper before the November 13, 2022, examination.
In Udaipur, they were received by Kanwararam Jat and Jabararam Jat, who took them to the house of another accomplice, Sanwarmal Jat. There, the solved examination paper was printed and taught to the candidates.
Police are currently on the lookout for Jabararam Jat.
The 2020 Forest Guard Recruitment exam was conducted in two shifts on November 13, 2022.
The mastermind, Harish, procured the leaked paper from Barmer.
Before both shifts of the exam, candidates were trained to solve the paper at a house and a hotel.
Each candidate reportedly paid Rs 8 lakh for the leaked examination paper.
The scam was unearthed following the arrest of Praveen Malviya, a resident of Shastrinagar, Banswara, on June 28, 2024.
During his questioning, Praveen revealed that Village Development Officer (VDO) Sakan Khadiya, Harish Saharan, and Junior Engineer Abhimanyu Singh had conspired to leak the examination paper.
The first-shift paper was solved at Hotel Blue Moon in Banswara.
The second-shift paper was solved at Praveen’s house in Shastrinagar, Banswara.
Harish and Abhimanyu guided the candidates in solving the leaked paper, while VDO Sakan Khadiya coordinated the entire operation.
Due to the paper leak, five individuals, including Subhash Dindor, Sukhram Damor, and his wife Nirma Damor, secured government jobs.
Each of them allegedly paid Rs 8 lakh for the leaked examination paper. The SOG continues its investigation and is questioning other suspects involved in the paper leak case, said officials.
