Jammu, Jun 25 (IANS): A special court in Jammu on Tuesday sent the Jammu & Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) 2022 exam paper leak scam's alleged kingpin to seven days custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Yatin Yadav, 43, a resident of Haryana, was arrested on Monday evening under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The JKSSB police sub-inspector exam was held on March 27, 2022, but the selected list of 1,200 candidates was cancelled by the Jammu and Kashmir administration in July 2022 following allegations of the paper being leaked.

The case was handed over to the CBI and it filed a charge sheet against 33 accused including Yadav on November 12, 2022. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) case originated from the CBI FIR.

The ED moved an application, through its special public prosecutor Ashwani Khajuria, in the court of special judge, anti-corruption (CBI cases), Jammu, Bala Jyoti on Tuesday and got seven days custody of the accused.

Yadav was produced in the court by Investigating Officer Rahul Verma, Assistant Director, ED Sub Zonal Office, Jammu, who had sought 14 days custody.

"From a perusal of case diaries and entire material on record, it transpires that since the accused was arrested on June 24, and that investigation of the case is at the initial stage, as such he is remanded to ED custody for a period of seven days with effect from June 25," the special judge said in the order. She directed the ED to expedite the investigation against the accused within the remand period.

The ED sources claimed that being the “kingpin” of the alleged paper leak gang, Yadav executed a well-crafted plan involving other accused touts based in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir to arrange candidates willing to access the leaked paper against payments ranging from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh. Post examination, the payments collected from the aspirants, mainly in cash, were routed to Yadav’s bank accounts, sources said.