Police in Assam’s Kamrup (Rural) district have arrested two persons for allegedly offering to alter marks of students appearing for Class 10 board exams this year in lieu of cash, officials said.
“After collecting evidence, we detained 7 persons for questioning. Of them, a school principal and a data entry operator have been arrested. Further investigations are underway. More arrests will take place if we come across any other persons involved in the racket,” Kamrup superintendent of police Hitesh Chandra Roy said.
The Assam government decided to cancel Class 10 and Class 12 board exams this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and instead devised an evaluation formula based on results of previous years and internal assessments. Results of the evaluation process were to be declared by the end of this month.
Following raids at several places on Saturday, police arrested Prasanta Das, a data entry operator at the office of inspector of schools and Aqqas Ali, principal of Majartop higher secondary school, for their alleged involvement in the racket.
“We received information about irregularities in offices of inspectors of schools and on Saturday raids were conducted at Kamrup district. Other inspectors of schools are also on our radar. If anyone tries to fudge marks of students, stringent action would be taken,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}“We received information about irregularities in offices of inspectors of schools and on Saturday raids were conducted at Kamrup district. Other inspectors of schools are also on our radar. If anyone tries to fudge marks of students, stringent action would be taken,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}According to police, based on confidential complaints that some persons in the inspector of schools office were colluding with school authorities to give marks to students appearing for Class 10 boards in exchange for money, the raids were conducted at several places on Saturday.
A case (329/21) has been registered against the accused at Changsari police station under sections 465, 466, 471, 199, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for forgery, forgery for cheating, using a forged document, false statement and criminal conspiracy.