M Harsh Vardhan, IPS, Additional DCP-1 South has been awarded the Union Home Minister’s Medal for the work done during his tenure in Arunachal Pradesh.
Harsh Vardhan was posted as Super Indent, Special Investigation Cell in Arunachal Pradesh, where he headed the investigation into a major recruitment scam in an examination conducted by the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB).
The officials found that the candidates who appeared in the APSSB exam had paid 8-12 lakh each to the then Under Secretary of APSSB to clear the exam. He was asked to leave the OMR sheet blank and later the then Under Secretary of APSSB used his access to the strong room to fill in the correct answers. Evidence like CCTV footage was destroyed. More than 20 people were arrested in this case.
Police found unexplained transactions that were linked to an account linked to the arrested Under Secretary and her husband. The account of more than one crore rupees has been frozen. Electronic gadgets like mobile phone, hard disk of the CCTV system of the accused were confiscated and sent to CFSL Chandigarh, as there are no forensic facilities for digital evidence in Arunachal.
Various deleted WhatsApp chats and pictures were recovered from the phones of the accused persons, providing vital evidence in the case and also revealed that a similar scam had taken place in the earlier UDC examination conducted by APSSB, for which the SIC has registered a separate case. was registered.
For the first time in Arunachal Pradesh, government evidence has been obtained against the main accused in the Prevention of Corruption Act case.
Harsh Vardhan as SP, SIC was instrumental in ensuring that the accused are booked and proper evidence is collected in the case, even in a state like Arunachal Pradesh which lacks necessary facilities, Reason won him the Medal for Excellence in Investigation.
Read also | Delhi Police DCP receives MHA Excellence Award in Delhi riots case, probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death
Read also | Six officers of Delhi Police get Union Home Minister’s ‘Medal for Excellence in Investigation for the year 2021’
.