Jaipur, December 24: At least 44 people, including 37 students and seven experts, were arrested in Rajasthan's Udaipur district in connection with the paper leak a few hours before the 2nd grade teacher recruitment examination was to begin across the state on Saturday, police said.

The general knowledge examination for teacher recruitment to be conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) been cancelled now.

Among those arrested include the alleged mastermind of the paper leak, Suresh Vishnoi, a resident of Jodhpur, police said. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced the cancellation of the examination. Teacher Recruitment Exam Paper Leak: Ashok Gehlot Says General Knowledge Exam Cancelled as Precautionary Measure.

The Opposition BJP, while targeting the government over the issue, demanded a strict action against those who leaked the paper. Acting on a tip-off that the paper has been leaked and a private bus carrying the candidates was coming to Udaipur, police teams stopped a vehicle at an intersection in Bekariya police station circle in the morning, Udaipur Superintendent of Police Vikas Sharma said. He said the candidates travelling in the bus were having the leaked examination paper in their possession.

"The suspected bus was stopped. At least 37 candidates were found with the leaked paper and seven others including experts and invigilators were found with other equipment. All of them hail from Jalore district and they have been arrested," Sharma said.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the mastermind had taken Rs 10 lakh to make the paper available to them. More arrested are expected in the matter, the SP said. Udaipur Police in the past few days has arrested three persons who tried to appear in the teacher recruitment examination as dummy candidates.

Chief Minister Gehlot said on Saturday that the general knowledge exam for teacher recruitment in the state was cancelled as a precautionary measure so that injustice does not happen to the youths.

“Today, on December 24, from 9 to 11 am, the general knowledge test for teacher recruitment has been cancelled as a precaution so that no injustice is done to any hardworking youths," he tweeted.

Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Gulab Chand Kataria said Saturday's incident is a shame on the government and matter of sadness. He said it was also disturbing for the students who had prepared hard for the examination. He questioned how this network that leaks papers for money is being able to operate in the state.

There is a huge nexus involved in the crime as eight papers have already got leaked and Saturday's incident was the 9th, Kataria said. BJP national general secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh said, "There is anger among youths. The cancellation of first shift paper of Rajasthan Senior Teacher

Recruitment Exam 2022 is another proof of CM Ashok Gehlot's failure. Fearless paper mafia dominates the entire examination system, future of youth is bleak." Other BJP leaders, including Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and state president Satish Poonia, has targeted the Congress government for its “failure” in tackling the paper leak mafia.