Judges selection test leak case: Nine to face trial

CHANDIGARH: A court here on Friday framed charges agains the nine accused in the Haryana Civil Services (judiciary) question paper leak case.
Those against whom charges have been framed include Balwinder Sharma, registrar (recruitment) of the Punjab and Haryana high court, advocate Tejinder Bishnoi, Congress leader Sunil Chopra, beneficiaries Sunita and Sushila, Kuldeep Kumar (Sunita's brother), Ayushi, her father Subhash Godara and uncle Sushil Bhadu.
Charges framed against Sharma are under sections 8 (taking gratification, in order, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servant), 9 (taking gratification, for exercise of personal influence with public servant) and 13(1)D (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) of the IPC.
Sunita has been framed with charges under sections 8 and 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 409, 420, 120B and 409 of the IPC. Against other co-accused - Sushila, Bhadu, Ayushi, Godara, Kuldeep, Bishnoi and Chopra - charges have been framed under sections 409, 420, 120 B and 409 of the IPC.
A high court committee looking into the case had recommended scrapping of the examination after prima facie finding that some candidates had access to the question paper.
Sharma, Sunita and Sushila were arrested in the case following HC directions. Chandigarh's Sector 3 police had booked the three of them in the paper leak case on September 19, 2017. Sunita was arrested from Delhi's Najafgarh area on November 9 as "she had stopped cooperating" with SIT.