Shimla: Himachal Pradesh police chief Sanjay Kundu has batted for a high-security government press to prevent leaking of question papers printed for recruitment of employees in the government departments. Talking to media persons here, he said that he has recommended the central intelligence and security agencies about the need for setting up a high-security printing press on the lines of one that prints currency notes, for printing of recruitment papers.

On May 6, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had cancelled the written test conducted to recruit police constables amid reports of a paper leak. The exam was held on March 27 and 75,803 candidates had appeared for the written test to recruit 1,334 constables. Of these, 60,454 were men and 14,653 women. Another 696 men had qualified for the written test for the post of constable drivers.

Kundu said that the state Police has so far arrested 171 people from 10 states, including West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan for their involvement in the leaking of Himachal Pradesh Police constable recruitment exam papers. At present, one accused is in police custody, 47 are in judicial custody, 121 have been released under section 41 (A) of the Criminal Procedure Code, and two have been granted bail by the Court, he added. /BI/