Patna sees protest over BPSC 'paper leak'; police baton-charge job aspirants

A group of government job aspirants and others staged a protest on Wednesday (December 25), demanding the cancellation of the December 13 combined preliminary exam by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) due to an alleged question paper leak.

Police baton-charged the protesters after some of them broke past barricades and reached the BPSC office in Patna, disrupting traffic movement, senior officer said.

Traffic movement disrupted

"A group of people, including job aspirants, gathered near the BPSC office on Bailey Road in the second half on Wednesday. They wanted to proceed towards the BPSC office, which the police did not allow. Some of them managed to reach the BPSC office and disrupted the movement of traffic.

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"Despite repeated requests by the security personnel, they refused to vacate the road. It is a restricted area where protests are not allowed. Finally, mild force, including baton charge was used to disperse the protestors," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra told PTI on Wednesday.

Police deny injury claims

Protesters claimed that two or three persons were injured in the baton charge, which the SSP denied.

"No protesters were injured. Mild force was used to disperse them," he said.

The job aspirants have been demanding cancellation of the preliminary examination of the BPSC and requested the commission to announce a fresh date for the test at the earliest.

Protesters alleged that question papers were leaked before the examination started at certain centres.

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Cancellation ruled out

However, BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai on Tuesday ruled out the cancellation of the entire exam.

He, however, made it clear that BPSC would conduct a re-examination of candidates who appeared for the test at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre in Patna on December 13.

Manubhai announced that the re-examination would be held on January 4, 2025.

The BPSC recently cancelled its combined preliminary examination held at Bapu Pariksha Parisar in Patna's Kumhrar locality, where an on-duty official died of a heart attack after a ruckus was created by "unruly" candidates on December 13.

The commission also served show-cause notices to 34 aspirants, who were allegedly part of the disruption created at Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre.

(With agency inputs)