Postman on the run after delivering success

FIA searching for Post Office employee involved in tampering with CSS answer sheets

It has been almost a year now that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is looking for an Islamabad Post Office employee Zahid Mahmood who allegedly tampered with the answer sheets and mail bags for Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) exam.

FIA Director Captain (r) Zafar Awan said that in the year 2013, the FPSC secretary lodged a complaint that they have found some discrepancies in the process of Pakistan Post regarding transportation of the mail bags containing insured parcels of solved answer sheets of CSS examinations held in February-March 2013.

The director said that FPSC was receiving the mail late and delayed with tampered wax seals of FPSC from its centre of LaboratoryHigh School, Hall A, AgriculturalUniversity, Faisalabad.

On the complaint, a regular enquiry was conducted at Crime Circle, FIA Islamabad.

During the course of enquiry it transpired that four officials of District Mail Office, Pakistan Post Islamabad were the suspects.

The main suspect was Senior Record Clerk Zahid Mahmood at the post office.

FIA arrested Superintendent M Sagheer, Head Sorter Basharat Hussain and Checker M Sajid, employees of Post Office Islamabad.

The three accused are now on bail, while the main accused Mahmood is now a proclaimed offender and is hiding for a year now to evade arrest.

An FIR was registered against the accused under section 109, 409, 420, 466, 471 and 472 of Pakistan Penal Code at Crime Circle, FIA Islamabad/Rawalpindi.

According to the FIA director, during the course of investigation, forensic and technical opinion of the experts was sought and according to them solved answer sheets of three candidates contained fake secret stamps of FPSC, while wax seals of FPSC were also tampered.

According to FIA, the three candidates whose answer sheets were tampered were Farooq Hayat, resident of Sargodha and Ahsan Bhatti and Fazal Elahi, who are residents of Lahore.

Hayat was arrested, while the other two approached LHC and the court passed orders of not arresting them, however they were directed to join the investigation. They joined the investigation but did not cooperate with the FIA team.

FIA intends to approach the LHC for the dismissal of their writ because the instant matter belongs to Islamabad High Court.

To revamp the investigation, another team was constituted under the supervision of FIA Islamabad Crime Circle deputy director.

Another accused Muhammad Ali son of main accused Zahid Mehmood was arrested who admitted before a magistrate that he also received the mail bags containing CSS solved answer sheets.

He also disclosed that after disappearance of his father he received a call from one suspicious person Usman Qayyum of Lahore who stressed him for a meeting for the benefit of both. But he did not meet him.

The suspect Government of Punjab Communication and Works Department Assistant Director/Sub Divisional Officer Usman Qayyum was summoned to join the investigation but he also approached LHC and avoided the investigation.

FIA will be approaching the LHC for dismissal of his writ because the matter is under the jurisdiction of Islamabad High Court.

Challan against the arrested accused have been submitted in the court while main accused Zahid has been declared proclaimed offender.

The accused Zahid used to take out the mail bags from District Mail Office Islamabad to his home situated at G-7 Islamabad. Those mail bags contained insured parcels having solved answer sheets of CSS examinations. The accused picked the required solved answer sheets by opening the insured parcels after tampering and breaking the official wax seals of FPSC.

Afterwards, he affixed fake secret stamps of FPSC on the new forged solved answer sheets, replacing original official answer sheets.

Then the accused sealed the insured parcels with fake wax seals of FPSC and placed the mail bags back in District Mail Office.

The accused Zahid used to have meetings with some suspicious persons at his home during those days.

The FIA director told that in all that activity, his arrested colleagues failed to identify or notice delay of the incoming and outgoing mail bags.

All tampering with wax seals on parcels and affixing of fake secret stamps on FPSC answer sheets were found on the mail received from Laboratory High School Faisalabad.