Special Operation Group (SOG) which is investigating the paper leak case, is likely to enquire Sanjay Shrotriya, chairman of Rajasthan Public Service Commission, the nodal agency which recruits for government jobs.
Sanjay Shrotriya is a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer promoted from state police services. He had been close to former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and was in CM security for long time. He took voluntary retirement in February 2022, six months before scheduled superannuation to join RPSC as chairman.
Sanjay Shrotriya, who retired from the post of IG Jaipur range, had also served in SOG as superintendent of police from 2015 to 2018.
The heat of paper peak has reached the boardroom of RPSC. The SOG has already arrested one RPSC member Babulal Katara last year. Katara has been dismissed for the board after the nod from the president. The other agency of Rajasthan Police – Anti Corruption Bureau – has investigated two members – Sangeeta Arya and Manju Sharma – recently in the recruitment related to Executive Officers (EO) of municipal services.
Apart from Manju Sharma and Sangeeta Arya, RPSC has four more members – Jaswant Singh Rathi, Kesari Singh Rathore, K C Meena and Aiyub Khan. Of them, Kesari Singh Rathore, K C Meena and Aiyub Khan were nominated in October last year, hours before the code of conduct enforced for the state assembly elections.
VK Singh, additional director general of SOG said that the agency will not leave any stone unturned. It will reach out to anyone irrespective of position or power.
“Whosoever comes under the cloud of doubts will be enquired thoroughly. No one will be spared,” Singh said.
The chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has given free hand to SOG and has directed the team to do whatever required to break the chain and arrest the kingpin. The SOG is working in full swing and have made many arrests including trainee sub inspectors who are suspected or be selected by using network of paper leak mafia.
According to sources, the paper leak mafia used charge candidates assuring clearance in interview also. The interview is conducted by RPSC board comprising members or chairman and subject experts.
“Paper mafia would charge ₹35-40 lakh for complete selection including the interview stage also,” said a police officer who came to know about it during interrogation.
The revelation has trained the gun on RPSC members and chairman. The SOG, which has got considerable success in unearthing the nexus in Sub Inspector recruitment exam, is now up to joining the dots.
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.