Scam: Answer sheets manipulated

Times of India: Bhubaneswar: Sunday, September 14, 2014.

In a new twist to the Balangir job scam, answer sheets of some examinees for revenue inspector (RI), assistant revenue inspector (ARI) and amin posts were found to have been manipulated to favour some candidates. Answer sheets obtained through RTI Act revealed this.

For recruitment of RI, ARI and amin, examination was held on June 9, 2013. Around 1,400 candidates took the examination for 169 posts.

After the results were out, some candidates smelt a rat and sought the answer sheets under RTI Act. The vigilance probed and found that the then collector Debraj Mishra, who held the post from August 2012 to July 2013, along with five others was allegedly involved in the tampering.

The answer papers revealed that some candidates, who got nil marks, managed to pass the examination. The total marks in some answer sheets were found to have been rewritten. In the case of one Siddhartha Kalsai, the score was changed from two to 93 out of 100 in a subject.

Kalsai did not get any mark in the computer knowledge paper. But, he is one among the few, who passed the examination.

The vigilance report revealed that after the examination was over, the answer sheets were not kept in a strong room, but at the the collector's residence.

"A handful of officers handled the evaluation and changed the marks at the collector's behest. In some cases, the signature of invigilators were found to be that of strangers," said the report.

Sudhir Kumar Sandh, an aspirant, said his answer sheet was tampered with. "We demand a fresh examination so that meritorious candidates get the jobs," he said. The Crime Branch (CB) took over the probe on September 1.

On Wednesday, the state government suspended Mishra after the CB on September 1 lodged an FIR against him.

However, no departmental action has been taken against five others named in the FIR.

Collector (Balangir) M Muthu Kumar said once the FIR copy (filed by the CB) reaches him, he would take action. "I will suspend those whose names figure in the FIR," he said.