Dhami coins “Nakal Jehad” to deflect attention from recruitment examination paper leak scandal

S.M.A. KAZMI

Dehradun, Sept 24

Facing heat over the leak of Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission Graduate level examinations following protests by youth, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has coined the term “Nakal Jehad” to deflect the attention of the masses particularly youth against such examination malpractices.

What prompted Chief Minister to term the examination paper leak as “Nakal Jehad” was involvement of a Muslim candidate and her sister in the matter. Already, Dhami, has been vociferous in his anti-Muslim campaigns of ‘Love Jehad’, ‘Land Jehad’, ‘Mazar Jehad’, ‘Thook Jehad’ and now ‘Nakal Jehad’ to target and vilify the Muslim community.

There had been protests by unemployed youth led by their leader Bobby Panwar against the paper leak issue despite prohibitory orders imposed by the police in various areas. It was alleged that the question paper of the examination was leaked half an hour after the start of the eaxmiantion.

There was protest at Srinagar Garhwal spearheaded by student wing of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI),today. Carrying placards of “ Exam Chor, Gaddi Chhod”, students expressed anger at the trial of recruitment scandals in Uttarakhand. “The students had taken permission for a peaceful protest but it was withdrawn by the police last night, But the students went ahead with their protest,” said Mukesh Semwal, secretary of Uttarakhand unit of SUCI.

Interestingly, a day earlier, Hakam Singh along with an accomplice, a mastermind of the 2021 similar examination leak was arrested on the charges of promising success for money. Hakam Singh was a ruling BJP worker and a close associate of several senior party leaders including former Chief Ministers.

As the agitation spread across the state, Police and Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission officials asserted that it a rumour and the examination paper has not leaked.

But on September 23, 2025, the police arrested Khalid Malik, a candidate appearing in the examination as the main accused in leaking three pages of the question paper from an examination centre in Laksar in Haridwar district.

Rishikesh Superintendent of Police (SP) Jaya Baluni who is the investigating officer stated that evidence gathered during the investigation clearly showed that Khalid allegedly took a device to the examination centre at Adarsh ​​Bal Sadan Inter College in Bahadurpur Jat village in the Pathri area of ​​Haridwar, using which he photographed three pages of the question paper and sent them to his mobile phone, which was in Sabia’s possession.

She said that Sabia allegedly sent these questions from Khalid’s phone to Suman, an assistant professor in Tehri, and received the answers from her. “Sabia sent the question paper photo to Suman and obtained the answers from her, with the intention of helping Khalid cheat in the exam. Therefore, considering her role in the case, she has been arrested,” Baluni said.

Three pages of the question paper for the undergraduate examination held on September 21 for various departments surfaced on social media.

Following a complaint a case has been registered against four named and other unidentified individuals by Dehradun police under relevant sections of the Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Prevention and Control of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Ordinance, 2023, in the Raipur police station area of ​​Dehradun. A special Investigation team has been formed by Dehradun police to probe the matter.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in a statement said that it was a case of ‘Nakal Jehad’ and all those involved in exam malpractices will not be spared under any circumstances.

The scandals of corruption in the recruitments for various positions in the Uttarakhand state are tumbling out of the cupboard of the state government since the formation of the state.

After the UKSSSC paper leak scandal in 2021, another scandal of paper leak in the recruitment for secretariat guards examination had surfaced with Special Task Force (STF) of Uttarakhand police filing a FIR against six persons allegedly involved in the scandal at Raipur police station of Dehradun. It has come to light that the examination question paper was sold for Rs. Ten lakh each much before the actual examination took place.

Reacting to the statement by Chief Minister Dhami, Uttarakhand Congress senior vice-president and organising secretary termed it unfortunate. He said that Chief Minister since taking over reins of power has been trying to give communal colours to each and everything. He said that a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) overlooked by High Court Judge should be ordered to know the scandal. He charged that the examination centre where the alleged leak took place belong to a ruling party leader and to whom three pages of question paper were sent also belonged to the ruling party. He said that why jammer were not in place at the examination centre. “ Are BJP leaders from Sanjay Paliwal to Hakam Singh, Dharmendra Chauhan owner of the examination centre and Assistant Prof. Suman indulging in ‘Nakal Jehad’, “ he asked.