Noida, Mar 6 (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.

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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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