Arunachal Officer, Suspended In Paper Leak Case, Found Hanging: Cops

The body of a senior official of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC), who was suspended in the paper leak case, was found hanging from a roadside tree in Itanagar on Friday evening, police said.

The body of Tumi Gangkak (45), an under-secretary of APPSC, was found hanging from a tree in the Poma area, they said.

He was summoned by the CBI on February 22 for interrogation in the APPSC paper leak case, sources said.

Mr Gangkak left his house at 4 pm on Thursday and his mobile phone went unreachable around 5.30 pm, Superintendent of Police (Capital) Jimmy Chiram said.

Whether it was a murder or suicide will be known only after the post-mortem examination, he said.

"All aspects of the unnatural death will be investigated, including whether there were any life-threatening calls or messages to him," he added.

Mr Gangkak purportedly wrote in a WhatsApp group on Thursday, "My dear esteemed members, I have never been involved in APPSC paper leakage. I am innocent but I am being targeted as I was the Assistant Controller of Examination." 

The question paper leak of assistant engineer (civil) exam, conducted by the APPSC, came to light when one Gyamar Padung, a candidate, filed a complaint at the Itanagar police station on August 29 last year.

More than 400 candidates appeared in the examination held on August 26 and 27.

In October, the state government handed over the case to the CBI for investigation. Several officials have been suspended, made to resign and arrested in the case that has rocked the state.

The chairman, secretary and members officials of APPSC from 2014 to 2022 are under the purview of the investigation, the government said.

Last week, widespread violence broke out in Itanagar over allegations that adequate actions were not being taken against those involved in the irregularities.

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