UPTET 2021 paper leak: 5 members of a gang held, Exam Authority official suspended

New Delhi: Stepping up its investigation into the paper leak case of the Uttar Pradesh's Teachers' Eligibility Test (UPTET) 2021, the officials on Tuesday (November 30) arrested five members of a gang for leaking paper and enabling cheating. 

The police informed that the accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Information Technology (IT) Act and UP Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act.

"Five members of a gang that leaked question papers of UP-TET exam and enabled cheating, arrested. Case registered at Lalganj PS under IPC, IT Act and UP Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act," Basti Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Deependra Nath Chaudhary said.

"The investigation is on, and the accused have been sent to jail," he added.

The Yogi Adityanath-led government has also suspended the secretary of the state's Exam Regulatory Authority (ERA), Sanjay Kumar Upadhyay, with immediate effect in connection with the case.

This is noteworthy that the UPTET 2021 was scheduled to be held on November 28 but was cancelled after a question paper for the exam was leaked. Close to 20 lakh candidates were to appear for the test.

Earlier, the UP government had said that 29 arrests were made in this connection, of which, 16 were from Prayagraj and four from Lucknow.

The Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Board (UPBEB) will conduct the exam again after one month and the government has announced to bear the entire expenditure on the re-examination.

(With agency inputs)