Another army rank officer arrested in Army Exam Paper leak case

On Mar 11, 2021

Days after an Army Major was arrested in connection with the recent Army recruitment exam paper leak, one more Army officer was detained by Pune Police from Delhi for questioning in the case.

According to a press release, Pune Police on Tuesday arrested the Army officer of Major rank from Delhi. He was produced before Pune court where the court has granted his police custody till March 15.

The Army officer, identified by the police as Vasant Vijay Kilari (45), was detained from Delhi on Tuesday. He was subsequently arrested in the question paper leak case registered with the Wanawadi police station under sections 520, 401 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other Specified Examinations Act, Prevention of Corruption Act and Information Technology Act.

Earlier in a joint operation with Military Intelligence of the Indian Army, Pune City Police’s crime branch had arrested several accused of running a recruitment scam in various parts of the country.

A Crime Branch team of Assistant Commissioner of Police Lakshman Borate produced Kilari before Additional Sessions Judge S R Navandar on Wednesday afternoon.

Seeking his police custody, public prosecutor Premkumar Agrawal told the court that Kilari is the batchmate of Thiru Murugan Thangvelu, another Major-rank officer, who was arrested in the case on Sunday from Tamil Nadu.

Army Relation Recruitment exam which was scheduled for February 28, which was to take place in Pune and 40 other centers, had to be cancelled, after it was leaked, police said.

A statement from the Indian Army, issued earlier last week, had said, “In pursuance of the Indian Army’s resolve to ensure transparency and eliminate corrupt practices in recruitment, Indian Army and Maharashtra State Police are jointly investigating the recent case of leakage of question paper….The findings of the inquiry will be incorporated in the existing system of recruitment process to make it more foolproof and robust.”