The four arrested accused have been identified as Subodh Jha, Mahesh Gupta, Shilpa Tiwari and Mohomed Shaikh. Investigators are still trying to ascertain their roles in the crime. Express photo by Nirmal Harindran
The Mumbai Police arrested four persons for allegedly leaking question papers of the HSC board examinations. The incident came to light on February 28, after a student was caught with an image of a chemistry question paper on his phone. Police said a professor caught the student while he was reading the question paper on his phone inside the college washroom. After consulting with college officials, the professor approached the Bhoiwada police station and registered a case.
“The student was caught an hour before the examination. During the course of our investigation, we learnt that the 17-year-old was trying to forward the question papers. However, we arrested four more accused after we were informed about their involvement,” an officer from Bhoiwada police station said. The four arrested accused have been identified as Subodh Jha, Mahesh Gupta, Shilpa Tiwari and Mohomed Shaikh. Investigators are still trying to ascertain their roles in the crime.
They have been booked under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other Specified Examinations Act, 1982, as well as the Information Technology Act.
Subhash Borse, acting secretary at the Mumbai Division of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), said, “A matter had come to our notice in Parel. A student had the images of the questions on a phone around 11.45 am. However, we couldn’t confirm if it was a leak.”
Last year, six incidents of paper leaks were reported, causing embarrassment to the board. Students were found in possession of images of question papers minutes before the examinations commenced. Six papers found their ways out since the HSC exams began on February 28 last year — the Marathi, secretarial practice, physics, political science and maths papers were circulating on WhatsApp ahead of the exam.
The leaks had forced the board to introduce strict measures this year. This year, no students were allowed into the exam hall after 11.20am and latecomers were barred from taking the examination.
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