MUMBAI: The eight
SSC students who were apprehended for accessing the leaked History and Political question paper were released on a cash bail of Rs 15,000 early on Saturday.
The students, who were booked on Monday soon after the paper leak came to light, were summoned to Amboli police station on Friday after being allowed to write the remaining papers. The students, all aged 15, were kept at the observation home in Dongri on Friday night. Five of the students are from Jogeshwari while the rest from Grant Road. Senior inspector Bharat Gaikwad said, “The kids were released and there is no condition that the they should appear at the police station again.” But parents of the students told TOI that the kids had been summoned again on Monday.
On Saturday, TOI met the parents of four students and all of them said that they had not given money to their wards to “buy” question papers. All of them said they were worried what impact this would have on their children’s future. Some parents plan to send their children for counselling so that they do not repeat the offence.
The mother of one of the students residing in a 400sqft flat in Jogeshwari said, “My son is not good at studies. He is good at repairing electronics, but I told him to clear his SSC exams so he could get a good job. The entire Friday was spent arranging money to get him out. We borrowed money from neighbours for the bail and Rs 2,500 for the lawyer’s fees. The police have told him to appear at the police station on Monday again.”
Another student’s uncle residing on Veera Desai Road said, “It was not proper for the children to have resorted to this short-cut. My nephew received the paper on his mother’s mobile. He was using her mobile as he has lost his. His friend sent the paper on WhatsApp and he forwarded it to another friend. We have come to know that some students from central Mumbai had paid for the paper.”
At the Grant Road house of one of the students, the parents were all praise for the police. “When we got a notice on Monday, we were very worried. But when we assured the police we will hand over our son after the exams, they allowed us to do so and ensured that his career is not ruined,” said the father.
The police have seized the mobiles of all the students and sent it to Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory. Meanwhile, another student who had received the paper on Whatsapp was allowed to leave by the police after it was known that she had not forwarded it to anyone.
Representative Photo
