Patna: The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has canceled the preliminary examination held at a center in Patna on Monday, where an on-duty official died of a heart attack on December 13 due to a ruckus created by “irregular” candidates. Bapu Pariksha Parisaar in Patna’s Kumharar area, which was one of the more than 900 centers for the Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE). Around 5 lakh candidates appeared in the exam held to recruit people for Group A and B posts.
“BPSC has decided to cancel the preliminary examination held at Bapu Parikash Parisar Examination Centre, due to disruption by a group of unruly candidates as part of a conspiracy to disrupt the examination,” BPSC Chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai told reporters.
The commission will soon announce the new date of examination for that center. He said that about 6,500 students who took the exam on December 13 can write the question paper again.
However, Manubhai said that those who create trouble at the center on Friday will be suspended.
“The commission has identified 30-40 candidates – what can be termed anti-social elements. They created obstruction in the examination process at the Centre. More such candidates are being identified by the police. All of them will be barred from appearing in the BPSC examination,” the chairman said.
A group of examinees of Bapu Examination Council came out of the examination hall alleging that the question papers were leaked on social media before the examination began.
A huge crowd had gathered outside the center as well and the situation was brought under control with police intervention.
The Patna district administration has recommended a case of murder against those who tried to disrupt the recent exams on Sunday.
After the ruckus, Additional Superintendent of Examinations Ram Iqbal Singh died due to heart attack while a female examinee fainted.
The BPSC chairman said on Monday, “CCE 70th preliminary examination was conducted in a single shift from 2 pm to 2 am. The examination was conducted at 912 centers across the state, out of which 911 centers were free and fair,” he said.
“In the CCTV footage of the Bapu examination hall, it has been revealed that some examinees snatched the question paper from the examinee and came out of the examination hall shouting that the question paper was out.”
“Taking away question papers from the invigilator and showing them to outsiders is like looting public property. Police action will be taken against those found acting as conspirators,” Manubhai said.