A Delhi court has sentenced Balwinder Kumar Sharma, the former Registrar (Recruitment) of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to five years in prison in connection with the Haryana Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Examination paper leak case.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna delivered the sentence, which also included a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on Sharma and Rs 60,000 on Sunita, the main accused.
The judge emphasized that to restore faith in the examination process, paper leaks must be addressed through the effective implementation of stringent laws. “Paper leaks have far-reaching consequences, leading to detrimental effects on candidates. They create an atmosphere of unrest, stress, and anxiety among students and affect their motivation to excel academically,” the judge said.
The judge further noted that in a country where unemployment is a constant concern, paper leaks contribute to delays in recruitments, adversely affecting the efficiency of government departments and administrative agencies that are already struggling with a shortage of human resources.
The court highlighted that crimes related to paper leaks often involve organized rackets with participants from various sectors, including the education sector, question paper formulators, coaching centers, consultants, hired agencies, and printing presses. “To restore faith in the examination process, the issue of paper leaks must be dealt with by implementing specific, stringent laws,” the judge stated.
The court acknowledged the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024 as a positive step but called for long-term reforms to ensure greater transparency, fairness, and credibility in public examinations.
Sushila, the third convict, was released on the basis of the period already served during the trial, though she was fined Rs 10,000. The court was addressing the leak of the Haryana Civil Services (Judicial Branch) Preliminary Examination 2017 question paper. The FIR was filed in September 2017 following intervention by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, and the matter was transferred to Delhi by the Supreme Court in February 2021.
The judge concluded that the circumstances were incriminating, forming a complete chain of evidence consistent with the culpability of the accused and inconsistent with their plea of innocence. Sharma was identified as a major source of the leak, having possessed and provided the question paper to Sunita. “As the Registrar (Recruitment), Sharma was obligated to maintain the sanctity and integrity of the competitive exam. Instead, he provided the question paper to his close friend Sunita, who benefited by securing the highest marks,” the judge said.
Sunita, having received the paper from Sharma, negotiated with Sushila and another candidate, Suman—who later filed the complaint alleging the paper leak—to share the question paper for Rs 10 lakh.
“It cannot be coincidental that a candidate closely associated with the Registrar (Recruitment) topped the examination. Detailed vigilance inquiry also implicated Sunita, Balwinder Kumar Sharma, and Sushila,” the court noted.
