RAS 2013 paper leak accused dies amid suspicion, family alleges murder

The alleged mastermind of the 2013 Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) examination paper leak, Amrit Lal Meena, has died under suspicious circumstances while being shifted from Varanasi to Jaipur, police confirmed on Tuesday. His death has sparked fresh controversy around one of the most high-profile recruitment scandals in the state.

Meena (55), a college lecturer from Karauli who was later dismissed from service, was arrested in July 2014 along with several others after a Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police unearthed the leak. According to police, his family was recently informed by one R.K. Singh that he had been admitted to a hospital in the Sigra area of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. While being transported by ambulance to Jaipur on 24 August, he reportedly died near Agra.

Family members took him to the district hospital in Hindaun, Karauli, where doctors declared him dead. A post-mortem was conducted the same day by a medical board. Following this, Meena’s relatives lodged a case of murder at Nadoti police station in Karauli, alleging that he had been poisoned. Police said the FIR, registered under a 'zero number', has been transferred to the Sigra police station in Varanasi for investigation.

R.K. Singh, the man who alerted Meena’s family about his hospitalisation, was himself arrested earlier in connection with the same case. Investigators had alleged that Singh passed on the leaked exam paper to Meena, who then sold it to aspiring candidates for several lakhs of rupees.

The RAS 2013 examination, conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), had to be scrapped after the SOG probe revealed large-scale irregularities. Investigators found that nearly 20 of the top 50 candidates who cleared the exam, including Meena’s wife and other associates, had gained undue advantage from the leak. The scandal prompted widespread criticism of the RPSC and cast a long shadow over recruitment procedures in the state.

The RAS is the premier state-level civil service, often described as the backbone of Rajasthan’s governance. Officers recruited through the RAS examination, conducted by the RPSC, go on to hold key posts in district administration, revenue collection, law and order, and various development departments. The exam is considered one of the most prestigious for state service aspirants, attracting tens of thousands of candidates each year.

Allegations of paper leaks and malpractice have, however, repeatedly undermined the credibility of the recruitment process. The 2013 episode remains one of the most damaging scandals, with its fallout lingering more than a decade later.

With Meena’s death now under inquiry, police say they will coordinate with Uttar Pradesh authorities to determine the exact cause. For many, the episode revives old questions about accountability and the integrity of competitive examinations that serve as gateways to coveted government jobs in Rajasthan.

With PTI inputs