The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered a major departmental examination scam within the East Central Railway and arrested 26 railway officials during a well-coordinated operation that commenced on Monday night.
The fraudulent activity was exposed just before the scheduled departmental examination for the position of chief loco inspectors, which was set to take place on Tuesday. During the CBI’s raids at three different locations in Mughal Sarai on Monday night, 17 candidates were discovered possessing photocopied handwritten question papers, confirming suspicions of a leak.
According to the investigation findings, the responsibility for preparing the examination question paper had been entrusted to a senior divisional electrical engineer (operations). However, instead of maintaining the confidentiality of the examination process, this official personally wrote the questions in English. He then allegedly passed them on to a loco pilot, who undertook the task of translating the content into Hindi. The translated version was subsequently forwarded to another railway official, who further disseminated the document to select candidates through a network of accomplices, all of whom were railway employees.
A spokesperson for the CBI stated that this intricate operation involved multiple individuals who played specific roles in the unauthorized distribution of the exam papers. The investigation revealed that a significant amount of money had changed hands in the process, with railway employees facilitating the leak in exchange for financial gains.
As a result, the CBI arrested the senior divisional electrical engineer along with 25 other railway employees. These individuals face serious charges of conspiring to collect money from candidates in return for providing them with the leaked question papers. The 17 candidates caught with photocopied versions of the questions were all working as loco pilots at the time and had allegedly paid bribes to gain access to the material in advance of the exam.
Following the arrests, the CBI carried out extensive searches at eight different locations, leading to the discovery and seizure of ₹1.17 crore in cash. This significant sum further underscored the depth of the corruption and the extent to which officials had compromised the integrity of the examination process for personal financial benefits.
The CBI’s action against the accused officials marks a critical step in addressing corruption and ensuring transparency within the railway recruitment system. Authorities are expected to continue their probe into the matter, and additional arrests or disciplinary actions may follow as the investigation progresses.
This development has raised serious concerns regarding the credibility of departmental examinations and the overall recruitment procedures within Indian Railways. The incident has also highlighted the urgent need for stricter safeguards, oversight mechanisms, and digital security measures to prevent such malpractices in the future.
The CBI’s swift and decisive action in this case serves as a strong warning against corruption and unethical practices within government institutions, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to upholding fairness and integrity in public sector recruitment processes.
