Rumours of a leak of question paper of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) preliminary examination erupted at an examination centre on Friday, prompting the commission to warn of police action against those involved in the "conspiracy".

Around 300-400 aspirants boycotted BPSC's 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 held at Bapu Examination Centre at Kumhrar in Patna alleging the question paper was leaked on social media even before the examination started.

BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai said that examinations were held in a free and fair manner in more than 900 centres, where close to five lakh candidates appeared on Friday.

"The BPSC CCE 70th preliminary examination was held in a single shift from noon to 2 pm. The examination was held in 912 centres across the state, and of those, free and fair exams were held in 911 centres," Parmar told PTI.

"However, in one centre in Patna, some of the candidates snatched questions papers from the invigilators and stormed out of the examination hall screaming that the paper had been leaked. Snatching of question papers from invigilators and showing those to outsiders tantamount to looting public property. Police action will be initiated against these persons who seem to have acted as a part of conspiracy... we are examining CCTV footage to identify them," he added.

"Mobile phones were not allowed inside the examination centre, then how did these candidates come to know about the rumours of question paper leak? Definitely some conspiracy is at work. Police are investigating the matter... there has been no leak of question paper at all," he added.

Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh reached the examination centre upon hearing about the commotion.

A large crowd gathered outside the examination centre and news channels ran video footage of the DM slapping one of the unruly bystanders and ordering police personnel to round up all those who were indulging in mischief.

"Authorities are in the process of registering an FIR against those who attempted to take law into their hands inside and outside an examination centre at Kumhrar. There was a slight delay in distribution of question booklets inside one-two examination halls at the centre," Singh said.

"Against the seating arrangements for 272 students in each examination hall, boxes of each question booklet had only 192 sets. This caused delay in the distribution of question booklets... this was objected to by the aspirants who snatched question papers from invigilators and alleged that the paper was leaked," he said.

Following this, around 300-400 students came out of their examination halls alleging that the paper was leaked, the DM said, adding they boycotted the exam.

"The remaining candidates of other examination halls in the same centre took the exam and came out of the halls only after 2 pm. The district administration will submit its report on the incident to the BPSC for appropriate action," the DM said.

Speaking to reporters, some students claimed that the question booklet/OMR sheets were given late.

"When seating arrangements were made for 272 candidates, why only 192 question papers were brought in one set?" questioned a student outside the Kumhrar centre.

Meanwhile, Bihar Police are also probing the allegations levelled by the students.

Deputy Inspector General of the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police Manavjit Singh Dhillon said, "We are ascertaining details and keeping a close watch on the developments." The combined (preliminary) competitive examination of the BPSC was held on Friday to recruit candidates for Group A and B posts.

Last week, BPSC aspirants held a dharna in Patna against the alleged changes in the rules for the preliminary examination, and demanded an extension to the examination date.

The BPSC had already denied any change in the examination process.

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