Dismissed IAF man held from Delhi in UP Police recruitment exam paper leak case
Noida (PTI): A former IAF personnel, who was dismissed from service in 2022, has been arrested from Delhi in connection with a probe into the question paper leak case connected to the Uttar Pradesh police recruitment examination held recently, officials said on Wednesday.
Pramod Pathak (40) was held from the Mukherjee Nagar area of Delhi by the Noida unit of the Uttar Pradesh police's Special Task Force (STF), based on a tip-off, they said.
His three associates were arrested last month from Jhansi over fraud related to the state police constable recruitment examination held on February 17 and 18.
"During further investigation into the case, we received a tip-off about Pathak's presence in Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi from where he was held on Tuesday evening," Additional Superintendent of Police (STF) Raj Kumar Mishra said.
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Pathak was quizzed and later his residence at Arun Vihar in Noida's Sector 37 was searched leading to recovery of incriminating evidence. An FIR was registered at the Sector 39 police station against Pathak under charges of cheating and forgery, the police officer said.
The items seized included two Aadhar cards -- one original and another fake -- a fake identity card of the Indian Air Force (IAF), 26 admit cards of different exams, and 14 pages related to the Uttar Pradesh police recruitment, he said.
According to the STF, Pathak was recruited as an Airman in the IAF in 2009 where he continued to work till 2022 and served in states such as West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi.
While still working in the IAF, Pathak in 2017 opened a physical training academy for army recruitment and allegedly engaged in fraudulent activities, the probe agency said.
"Pathak, along with his associates, got involved in fraud in recruitment exams of the IAF, Navy, Coast Guard, Delhi Police, UP Police, SSC and various exams of the UP government. The IAF got information about this and held an inquiry into it after which Pathak was dismissed from service on August 18, 2022," the STF said.
Following reports of widespread fraud in the Uttar Pradesh Police constable recruitment examination, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the cancellation of the exam and ordered that the test be held again within six months.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
