JSSC Junior Engineer paper leak case: Accused held in Mumbai after nearly 4 years

Jharkhand Police have brought Ranjit Mandal from Mumbai in the JSSC Junior Engineer paper leak case, alleging he was linked to WhatsApp circulation of questions and answers before the July 2022 exam. The arrest pushes investigators to trace the digital and financial trail and examine whether others were involved.JSSC Junior Engineer paper leak case: Accused held in Mumbai after nearly 4 yearsNearly four years after the alleged leak of a Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Junior Engineer examination paper, police have arrested another accused in the case. Jharkhand Police detained Ranjit Mandal from Mumbai’s Amboli area on August 7 on the basis of a court-issued warrant and later brought him to Jharkhand on transit remand.Mandal is accused of being linked to the circulation of the JE examination paper and its answers on WhatsApp hours before the test was scheduled to begin in July 2022.The case dates back to July 3, 2022, when the JSSC Junior Electrical Engineer recruitment examination was conducted in Jharkhand. According to the FIR and police investigation, questions and answers related to the examination were allegedly circulated on WhatsApp several hours before candidates were scheduled to take the test.The alleged leak raised serious questions over the security of the recruitment examination and the possible involvement of a wider network in obtaining and circulating confidential examination material. FIR REGISTERED IN RANCHIFollowing the allegations, a case was registered at Namkum Police Station in Ranchi on July 14, 2022, based on a complaint filed by Mithilesh Kumar Mahto.The FIR invoked Sections 467, 468, 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 66 of the Information Technology Act and Section 10 of the Bihar Conduct of Examination Act, 1981. The investigation was assigned to DSP Neeraj Kumar.WHATSAPP NUMBER UNDER POLICE SCANNERDuring the investigation, police reportedly traced the WhatsApp number 7488121791, which was allegedly used to circulate the examination questions and answers, to a Paytm Payments Bank account registered in the name of Ranjit Mandal.The link between the mobile number and the bank account became an important part of the investigation as police attempted to establish who was behind the circulation of the leaked examination material.The investigation also focused on identifying other individuals who may have been connected to the alleged leak and determining how the examination material reached WhatsApp users before the test.ACCUSED BROUGHT TO JHARKHANDPolice detained Mandal in Mumbai’s Amboli area on August 7, acting on a warrant issued against him in connection with the case.After his detention, he was taken to Jharkhand on transit remand. His arrest marks a fresh development in a case that had remained pending for nearly four years.The latest action is expected to help investigators further examine Mandal’s alleged role in the circulation of the paper and whether other people were involved in the network.The alleged paper leak occurred at a time when recruitment examinations conducted by government agencies were under close scrutiny over questions of examination security and malpractice.In the JSSC JE case, the alleged circulation of the paper and answers before the examination raised concerns over the fairness of the recruitment process and the possibility that candidates who had access to the leaked material could have gained an unfair advantage.The case subsequently became the subject of a police investigation, with investigators attempting to trace the digital and financial links connected to the circulation of the examination material.FOUR YEARS ON, INVESTIGATION MOVES AHEADMandal’s detention nearly four years after the alleged leak highlights the prolonged nature of the investigation. With the accused now brought to Jharkhand, investigators are likely to focus on establishing the complete chain through which the examination material was allegedly obtained, circulated and distributed.The case will now proceed through the legal process, while investigators continue to establish the roles of the accused and any other persons who may have been connected to the alleged paper leak.The arrest of Ranjit Mandal marks a significant development in the long-running 2022 JSSC JE paper leak case. Nearly four years after the alleged circulation of the examination paper on WhatsApp, the latest police action could provide investigators with fresh leads into the network behind the leak and how the confidential examination material was accessed before the test.- EndsPublished By: Apoorva AnandPublished On: Aug 12, 2026 09:19 IST