Dehradun, Sep 22, 2025: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday warned that those conspiring to malign the Uttarakhand government under the guise of “cheating mafia” will not be spared.
Speaking at an event in Dehradun, Dhami said some individuals, upset with the state’s strict anti-cheating laws, are attempting to tarnish the government’s image. He cited the alleged leak of three pages of a question paper from the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission’s (UKSSSC) graduate-level exam as part of a conspiracy to defame the administration.
“A similar attempt was made on Sunday, but this is not a case of paper leak,” Dhami said, stressing that the government will expose the cheating mafia and coaching mafia soon.
He recalled that when he took charge as Chief Minister in July 2021, around 22,000 government posts were vacant, but through recruitment drives, over 25,000 youths have since secured jobs. “Not a single case of cheating was reported in these examinations,” he asserted.
Dhami added that the state introduced India’s toughest anti-cheating law to ensure fairness in recruitment, but some groups, frustrated by this, have resorted to spreading false narratives.
After images of three exam pages circulated on social media, Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh said preliminary investigations ruled out organised gang involvement, though evidence showed someone from an exam centre leaked the questions. He confirmed that the accused had been identified, and strong evidence was collected against them.
Singh also noted that activist Bobby Panwar was under suspicion for allegedly circulating screenshots of the question paper online without verification, thereby sensationalising the issue.
Meanwhile, Commission Chairman Ganesh Singh Martolia clarified that the incident was not a “paper leak” but admitted that the disclosure of question paper pages was serious. He said the Commission had installed mobile jammers at all exam centres and expressed surprise at how the questions surfaced publicly. The Commission has asked the Dehradun SSP and the Special Task Force (STF) to conduct a detailed probe.
Police have already arrested two suspects, Hakam Singh and his aide Pankaj Gaur, for allegedly promising candidates success in exchange for ₹12–15 lakh. Hakam Singh, a resident of Uttarkashi, was previously arrested on similar charges.
The incident has triggered political backlash, with Congress staging protests and burning effigies of the Dhami government. State Congress chief Karan Mahara accused the government of betraying lakhs of unemployed youth. He said the much-publicised anti-cheating law has proved to be “hollow and empty rhetoric.”
