Government doctor, an ace box cutter, key accused in UP paper leak: STF

LUCKNOW: UP STF, which is probing the UP police constable exam paper leak, has filed the first chargesheet in the case in a Lucknow court. The 900-page chargesheet names 18 arrested accused, including a government doctor Shubham Mandal, who had an expertise in opening question paper boxes without breaking the seal.
Others named in the chargesheet include the mastermind Ravi Attri and his aides Rajeev Nayan Mishra, Goldy, Vikram Pahal, Satish Dhankad, Rohit Pandey, Abhishek Shukla and Shivam Giri.
Mandal, 27, was posted at a govt-run primary health centre in Bihar's Katihar district. He was named as a key player in the paper leak by some other accused following their interrogation and was arrested by STF on March 17.
A native of Patna, Mandal passed out from Nalanda Medical College. Along with his friend Bittu, who completed his MBBS degree from Patna Medical College in 2021, Mandal was earlier booked in 2017 in a NEET paper leak case.
"Ravi Attri was introduced to Mandal through his aide Rajeev Nayan Mishra. Mandal played a vital role in opening the question papers box which was kept at a warehouse in Ahmedabad. He had the expertise in opening confidential boxes without breaking the seal. He was paid Rs 2 lakh and an given air ticket for Patna-Ahmedabad flight," said STF sleuths. On Feb 5, Mandal had entered the warehouse and took photographs of the Code 2 question paper.
On Feb 8, a similar operation was carried out for the Code 1 paper. Mandal was again roped in to open the boxes, STF officials said.
Once the boxes were opened, question papers were sent to gang handlers in Manesar (Haryana), Baghpat (UP), Delhi and Rewa (Madhya Pradesh). Hundreds of aspirants who paid money to buy the paper memorised the answers in resorts in Rewa and Manesar a day before the examination.
A total 43 lakh candidates had appeared in the exam across UP on Feb 17 and 18 for 60,244 police constable positions. Govt cancelled the exam on March 25 and ordered a probe by STF.
In the crackdown that followed, 402 accused were arrested from Bihar, MP, Haryana, Gujarat and UP.
A supplementary chargesheet will be filed soon, STF sources said.