M A I N   N E W S

Paper leak nexus unveiled
Police nabs conman from Amritsar hotel
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 19
In a major breakthrough, the local police today arrested an Akali leader and rice miller of Sirhind, Devinder Singh alias Pappu, who allegedly enjoys close links with CBSE officials, while dealing with aspirant candidates for the PMT entrance test, scheduled for April 27 from the premises of Hotel Royal Castle, here today.

Interestingly the S.P. (City), Mr Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, who himself approached the rice miller in civil clothes as a decoy on a tip off, struck the deal for getting the CBSE paper leaked a day before the entrance test against a payment of Rs 11 lakh. The accused had already called a number of candidates in the hotel’s room number 103 and finalised the deals. After his arrest Pappu told the S.P. that he had been duping the candidates for ensuring clearance of the entrance test for the last two years. The modus operandi of the alleged conman was that he would get the list of aspirants of the PMT entrance test from senior officials of the CBSE. On the basis of this, he would book rooms in prestigious hotels and call the candidates there for striking deals.

Devinder Singh Pappu would also show his pictures with VVIPs while striking the deals. The police has also seized a number of his pictures with Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union Minister and Secretary-General of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Pappu possessed three mobile numbers. The police also recovered many registers and personal diaries where he had mentioned the names of candidates with whom he had already struck deals. He would get Rs 5 lakh in advance which, according to him was meant for CBSE officials. The candidates would deposit the original certificates with him as guarantee for the rest of the money which used to be charged after clearance of the entrance test.

The city police has also rounded up one S.K. Bawa, who is running BRC Institute for PMT entrance tests, from the hotel premises. Bawa told the police that Pappu would charge more than Rs 10 lakh for getting clearance of the PMT test. One Dr G.S. Shergill, a government employee who was also called by Pappu in his room, however, proved his innocence and told the police that he had visited the hotel room on his personal invitation. Dr Shergill told the police that he was not aware that Pappu was a conman as he knew him as an Akali leader only.

The sources pointed out that names of the police officials, doctors and politicians were written in the diaries which proved beyond doubt that such a racket was not possible without the help of a well-oiled nexus.

The police is likely to involve the candidates for further investigation. According to sources, leaders and officials of the CBSE from New Delhi and other states were part of the nexus.

The Civil Lines Police has registered an FIR under Sections 418, 419, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.