Police seize key evidence in examination fraud case involving IPS officer
In trouble:Police officials arreishna
Intelligence Bureau takes stock of situation, more arrests likely soon; team from Chennai leaves for Hyderabad, Kochi for further investigation
Police have seized storage devices, mobile phones and other incriminating documents from the possession of suspects in the high-tech exam fraud case which may lead to more arrests soon.
While the Intelligence Bureau which gave the tip-off leading to the expose took stock of the situation on Wednesday, special teams of the Chennai Police seized electronic gadgets and other incriminating materials from an IAS coaching centre in Hyderabad from where Joicy, wife of IPS officer Safeer Karim, and her associate Rambabu were taken into custody, police sources said.
Mr. Karim, who was arrested from an UPSC examination centre here after he was found to be in possession of a mobile phone, a bluetooth device and micro wireless headphones, was produced before a Judicial Magistrate and lodged in Puzhal Central prison on Monday night. Though the Assistant Superintendent of Police had completed his Phase-II training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in September this year, he took leave and did not join duty in the State. It is not clear whether the Tamil Nadu government has placed him under suspension following his arrest.
Not ruling out the possibility of more exam frauds involving the accused, a senior police officer told The Hindu that special teams were sent to other places for arresting some suspects. Parrying questions on whether the accused helped candidates who appeared in civil services exams or other competitive examinations held in the past to pass through fraudulent means by deploying the use of electronic gadgets, the official said investigation was at a preliminary stage and it was too early to comment on those issues.
“We will be taking the accused into custody for interrogation. Storage devices, mobile phones and other electronic devices seized from their possession will be sent for cyber analysis. The IB was tracking this case for quite some time and gave us the alert a couple of days before the civil services main examination commenced,” he said.
Asked why Mr. Karim sat for the UPSC examination again, despite scoring marks good enough to get into the Indian Administrative Service but choosing to join the Indian Police Service, a senior investigator said the officer wanted to get into the home cadre and work in his native Kerala.
Ms. Joicy and Mr. Rambabu were expected to be brought to Chennai on Tuesday night. Another team of police personnel left for Hyderabad and Kochi for further investigation, police sources added.
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