Uttarakhand govt appoints retd HC judge BS Verma to oversee SIT’s paper leak probe
Justice Verma will oversee the work of the SIT, and ensure that its probe was conducted in a fair, transparent, and fact-based manner, the government said
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand government on Thursday evening appointed retired Uttarakhand high court judge, justice BS Verma, to supervise the investigation into the alleged cheating in the 2025 Graduate Competitive Examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC).
Justice Verma will oversee the work of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and ensure that its probe was conducted in a fair, transparent, and fact-based manner. He will also have the authority to visit districts, review complaints, and guide the SIT as needed, a statement issued by the state government said.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Dehradun, Jaya Baluni, heads the SIT set up on September 24, 2025, to investigate the alleged paper leak.
The decision to appoint a former judge comes amid continuing protests over the alleged leak of the UKSSSC graduate-level written examination continued for the third day. At Dehradun’s Parade Ground, the protesters said they won’t call off their agitation until the Central Bureau of Investigation takes up the probe.
Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh president Ram Kandwal said the protesters have three main demands: an immediate recommendation for a CBI probe, cancellation of the tainted graduate-level exam and conduct of a fresh test within a month, and the resignation of the UKSSSC chairman.
The government has also suspended Sector Magistrate KN Tiwari, posted at Adarsh Bal Sadan Inter College, Bahadurpur Jat, where irregularities were reported on the day of the exam.
Tiwari, who is also Project Director at the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Haridwar, was found prima facie guilty of negligence in duty during the conduct of the exam, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the case has urged students, candidates, and the public to share any information related to the leak. The SIT, led by the SP, Rishikesh, under the supervision of a retired High Court judge, has statewide jurisdiction. Information can be shared at spdehatddn@gmail.com or via WhatsApp at +91 9027083022.
Police said the alleged mastermind, identified as Khalid (35), who appeared as a candidate at a Haridwar centre and photographed pages of the question paper during Sunday’s exam, was arrested on Wednesday. The images were sent to his sister Sabia, who transmitted them to Suman, an assistant professor in Tehri Garhwal, for answers. The solved responses were relayed back to Khalid before screenshots went viral on social media. Sabia was arrested a day earlier.
