Unprepared student makes false claim of paper leak

BENGALURU: A 17-year-old II PU student was allegedly debarred from writing the examination on Saturday after investigation revealed he had spread false messages about a question paper leak in order to get the exam postponed. When questioned by police, the boy confessed to having done so as he was under-prepared.
The boy, a student at a private college in Jayanagar, had falsely claimed that the computer science paper had been leaked and was being sold. “On Friday, he called the PU board helpline and said the question paper of Saturday’s exam has been leaked and was being shared on social media,” said deputy commissioner of police (north) N Shashikumar said.
The boy had even claimed that some copies of the paper were being sold near Jayanagar IV Block. “...In no time, the matter reached the PU board and they approached us. We formed a special team and traced the boy to his JP Nagar residence. He confessed, saying he was not well prepared for the exam and had played the prank hoping it would be cancelled or postponed,” said Shashikumar.
He added they decided to allow the student to appear for the exam but he was disallowed by the department. “He and his parents requested us to let him to write the exam. Accordingly, we sent him to college. But the college management denied him entry, saying he has been debarred,” added the DCP.
According to an investigating officer, police informed the PU board by midnight saying it was a prank and the question paper was never leaked. “We worked without taking a break until we found the boy. If we hadn’t been able to confirm that his claim was false, panic and confusion would have prevailed among students, parents and colleges by Saturday morning. Based on our report, the PU board decided to continue with the exam,” he said.
In his statement to media, S Suresh Kumar, minister for primary and secondary education said: “The student circulated the message on question paper leak. The department officials went into a tizzy on Friday night when they received these messages. Police traced the number from where the message started. When detained, the student confessed to the offence saying he had not prepared well for the exam. Hence, he wanted confusion to prevail...”