Mumbai SSC exams: Third paper leak in a week, two tutors arrested

The paper leak was detected at St. Jude’s High School in Sakinaka at 10.40 am, 20 minutes before the exam was to start, the police said. (Express Photo by Sandip Daundkar/Representational/Files)

A student was caught with the leaked copy of Class X Information and Communications Technology paper at a school in Sakinaka on Thursday, minutes before the exam was due to start. This is the third reported SSC paper leak in Mumbai this week. Two tutors have been arrested. The paper leak was detected at St. Jude’s High School in Sakinaka at 10.40 am, 20 minutes before the exam was to start, the police said.

Vanita Shetty, an invigilator at the school found a few gathered students looking into a cell phone outside the exam hall. The police said Shetty inquired and found that a 15-year-old girl had received the leaked question paper on her phone through WhatsApp message and had shown it to a few other students.

Avinash Dharmadhikari, Senior Inspector, Sakinaka police station, said Shetty immediately informed officials at the Maharashtra Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. The exam went ahead as scheduled and later, Shetty took the students, who had seen the leaked question paper, to Sakinaka police station. “Probe revealed that the paper was sent by a private tutor named Firoz Yusuf Ansari (42). He runs a tutorial class at Khairani Road in Sakinaka,” said Dharmadhikari.

He added that Ansari had received the paper from 27-year-old Muzzamil Iqbal Kazi, another tutor from Mira Road. Both teachers have been arrested under sections 5, 6, 7, 8 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other Specified Examination Act and Section 66 D of the Information Technology Act.