The former Student Union President of Allahabad University was arrested for protesting against the Hindi exam paper leak along with several other Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) aspirants yesterday and accused of burning a public transport bus.

File Photo
 
Allahabad: Richa Singh, former Student Union President of Allahabad University was arrested for protesting against the Hindi exam paper leak along with several other Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) aspirants yesterday.
 
The Hindi paper was to be conducted in the morning and an essay exam was to conducted in the afternoon. The papers were mixed up and the aspirants received the essay paper first instead. The students started protesting against the mix-up and asked for the exams to be cancelled. Sources say that they were pressurised to write the paper even though the wrong exam paper was distributed. They have also accused the police of using brute force in the form of lathi-charge after a public transport bus was set on fire nearby.
 
Speaking to Sabrang India, Ram Karan Nirmal, a lawyer in Uttar Pradesh aware of the incident, said that the students were protesting peacefully against the paper leak. “Students all over the state were resentful about how the exams were being conducted in the first place as they were not given any time to prepare. Many have come from all over to attempt these exams. When the news of leak started spreading, they were very angry. They formed a group and protested against the mix-up and asked for the exams to be cancelled. Richa Singh joined the protest but was arrested after police started the lathi charge. They have book students under serious allegations which are completely false and they are playing with the students’ futures. It’s wrong,” he said.
 
The exams were subsequently cancelled by the Lok Seva Aayog. “At Government Inter College Centre in Allahabad, candidates were served Essay question paper in the morning shift instead of General Hindi resulting in a protest from those appearing in the exams. Following the protest, UPPSC Secretary Jagdish announced the cancellation of Tuesday’s General Hindi and Essay paper. Other papers will be held as per the schedule. The date for the cancelled papers will be announced shortly,” said the UPPSC Secretary,” reported DNA.
 
The Citizen spoke to Richa Singh, while she was held in custody of the police. “I am in police custody at present, therefore cannot speak for long. The UPPSC was scheduled to hold a compulsory Hindi examination on June 19, 2018. The second meetings question papers were leaked in the first meeting in one centre, itself. Therefore, the students gathered together and made a simple demand to the UPPSC administration, that it should take a note of the fact and ensure that the administration ensures that none of the other papers are leaked, henceforth. The administration denied the request saying ‘we cannot guarantee that’. After the cancellation of the examinations, all students formed a human chain in front of the UPPSC office to peacefully protest, at around 7:00 pm in the evening yesterday. These are all students who are currently appearing for the examination. Suddenly, we noticed that one of the buses nearby was set up on fire, by few police officials present near the protest. We have the video with us. They set the bus on fire and then attacked the students and detained all of us from the spot. Seven of us were arrested, as several individuals have been brutally beaten up. They are all appearing for Mains, and most of them have serious injuries like a broken leg or a broken shoulder. Out of the seven people arrested, six are appearing for the exams tomorrow. They have an exam scheduled tomorrow and they have been held in the Civil Lines Police Station, even now. An FIR has been lodged against all of us, the entire blame of setting a public property on fire is put on me. They alleged that I set the bus on fire, and instigated protesters to agitate in front of the UPPSC office, yesterday evening. They have no evidence to prove what they state. Right now, they are letting the six students leave following their bail plea, while I am being sent to jail as my bail plea has been rejected. I request all of you to spread the word against this.”


 
The PCS (Mains) 2017 examinations are being held at 11 centres in Lucknow and 17 centres in Allahabad. The Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav had demanded to delay the exams as students did not get time to prepare due to the sudden announcement of exam dates. A few students had also filed a petition in Supreme Court with the same request but the apex court had refused to intervene and rejected their petition.