The Arunachal Pradesh government has terminated two Group A officers in connection with the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak issue.

The two officers were holding the posts of Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) and are currently lodged at Jully district jail near here, in connection with the case, officials at the agriculture department said.

ADOs Dekni Romin and Yimar Rakshap posted at Taliha in Upper Subansiri and Hawai in Anjaw district of the state have been terminated by the government from their services in the backdrop of the on-going APPSC exam fiasco, an order issued by state Agriculture Commissioner Bidol Tayeng stated.

The appointments were provisional and they were still in two years probation period and their services were yet to be confirmed by the government.

The two former ADOs were earlier arrested by the Special Investigating Cell (SIC) in connection with the paper leak case and were remanded to police custody for more than 48 hours.

Both the officers were served with termination notices by the department on February 6 giving them a month time to respond. However, they have not replied to the notices.

Another official of the department Talung Jomang, serving as Agriculture Field Assistant (senior), who is currently lodged at Jully district jail, has been placed under suspension, the order said, adding disciplinary proceedings could not be completed due to certain previous judgement of the Supreme Court in a similar case.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu had on March 10 last informed the assembly that since 2017, there were eleven exams conducted by the APPSC in which, a total of 54 persons including 42 government officials have been arrested on allegations of malpractices.

The question paper leak issue came to light last year after one Gyamar Padung, who appeared in the examination, filed a complaint at the Itanagar police station on August 29, claiming that he suspected that the question paper was leaked.

More than 400 candidates appeared in the examination held on August 26 and 27 last year.

The CBI had taken over the investigation on October 27 last after the state government recommended it. The case was initially investigated by the Capital Police and later transferred to the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state police.