Rajasthan HC rejects bail of four accused in paper leak case

Jaipur, Nov 19 The Rajasthan High Court has denied bail to four accused, including alleged mastermind Jagdish Vishnoi, in the SI Recruitment 2021 paper leak case.

Justice Chandraprakash Shrimali delivered the order on Tuesday, rejecting the pleas of Jagdish Vishnoi, Rajiv Vishnoi, Kartikeya Sharma, and Rinku Yadav. Representing the state government,

Special Public Prosecutor Anurag Sharma and Advocate Akshat Sharma strongly opposed the bail applications. They argued that Jagdish Vishnoi was the key conspirator who formed a gang to leak the recruitment exam paper, thereby compromising the integrity of the entire process.

The prosecution stated that Rajiv Bishnoi was not only a candidate but also handled the gang’s operations, helping circulate the leaked paper. Kartikeya Sharma allegedly purchased the paper and sold it to Rinku Yadav, establishing a clear chain of conspiracy.

Prosecutors emphasised that substantial evidence exists against all four accused and therefore bail should not be granted.

In their plea, the accused claimed they had been falsely implicated and that the prosecution lacked concrete evidence. They argued that the trial is expected to take considerable time and that they have already spent a long period in jail.

After hearing both sides, the court dismissed the bail requests.

Although Jagdish Vishnoi was granted bail eight months ago in the JEN Recruitment 2020 paper leak case, he remained behind bars due to his involvement in the SI paper leak case.

A resident of Danta in Sanchore district, Jagdish was known as “Guruji” among his associates. His criminal footprint dates back to 2005, when he purchased a fake B.Ed. degree.

In 2007, he became a third-grade teacher by leaking an exam paper, and his name first surfaced in a cheating case during the 2007 constable recruitment exam.

Jagdish has 11 cases registered against him for cheating and paper leaks.

The first case was filed in Tonk in 2008, and the second at Kardhani police station in 2010, after which he was suspended from his teaching post. Following jail terms in both cases, he remained absconding for four years.

Between 2011 and 2013, three more cases were filed while he continued to evade arrest. In 2014, the SOG arrested him, and he served two months in jail across three cases.

In 2015, he again spent two months behind bars. Between 2016 and 2018, three additional cases—related to paper leaks, cheating, and using dummy candidates—were registered.

He served a five-month jail term and was released in January 2019. Jagdish Vishnoi was most recently arrested again in February 2024, continuing a long history of alleged involvement in organised exam fraud.

--IANS

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