On Tuesday, A Special CBI Court in Mumbai concluded proceedings in the matter concerning the alleged leakage of question papers for the 2010 recruitment examination for Lower Division Clerks in the Indian Navy. The accused, Ramesh Saini, former Commander and President of the Board of Examination at INS Angre, and Rambir Singh Rawat, owner of a coaching centre, faced charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and use of forged documents under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The prosecution, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Sandeep Singh, contended that the accused conspired to compromise the confidentiality of the examination process. Evidence indicated that Ramesh Saini prepared the question papers and retained exclusive custody during printing and distribution, while Rambir Rawat allegedly facilitated their dissemination to candidates. A raid conducted by the CBI in September 2010 at a lodge in Mumbai recovered the question papers and other relevant documents, corroborating the allegations.
The defence argued that Ramesh Saini had an unblemished 36-year service record and had been cleared in departmental proceedings, while Rambir Rawat submitted that he only provided coaching based on likely questions. The Court, however, observed that the chain of evidence established the involvement of both accused beyond reasonable doubt and noted the serious impact on the recruitment process.
The Court convicted Ramesh Saini and Rambir Singh Rawat and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for three years and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each. Bail was granted and the sentence suspended pending appeal. Four other accused were acquitted as the prosecution failed to establish their culpability beyond reasonable doubt.
Source PTI
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