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Minor held within 24 hours in SSC question paper theft; 5 officials suspended
Additional Superintendent of Police (Solapur Rural) Pritam Yawalkar said the suspect, a juvenile in conflict with the law, has been detained and has confessed to the crime
Within 24 hours of the theft of SSC Class 10 geography question papers from a strong room in Sangola, police have identified the suspect as a minor, recovered the stolen material, and taken action against officials for negligence.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Solapur Rural) Pritam Yawalkar said the suspect, a juvenile in conflict with the law, has been detained and has confessed to the crime. “The person involved has been identified. Immediate action has been taken for negligence: one police personnel and two home guards have been suspended,” he said.
A case has been registered at Sangola police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices in University and Other Examinations Act, 1982.
Yawalkar said multiple teams were deployed to crack the case.
“Acting on confidential inputs and technical evidence, the accused was identified and detained. During questioning in the presence of his parents, he confessed. We have recovered the stolen Class 10 geography question papers along with three blank answer sheets. The tools used in the crime, including an electric cutter and an electric motorcycle, have also been seized. Further investigation is underway,” he added.
According to Yawalkar, the suspect is a 16-year-old Class 10 student who stole the question papers for personal thrill. “He did not circulate the question papers to anyone. He even appeared for the geography exam today, and so far, there is no evidence of the papers being shared. The investigation is ongoing to determine any further details regarding the incident,” he said.
Pune divisional officer Audumbar Ukirde said that after the police submit a detailed report, anyone named will face appropriate action. “The 16-year-old student, who appeared for the exam despite knowing the question paper content, will also be debarred. Appropriate measures will be taken against all others found involved,” he added.
Board officials did not comment on whether the stolen paper was the same set used during the exam, noting that additional question paper sets are usually prepared as a backup.
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) officials said the suspect was traced using CCTV footage from outside the school premises. Chairman Trigun Kulkarni said, “Our divisional officer reached Sangola immediately. Since the internal CCTV system was non-functional, we relied on external road cameras, which showed a boy carrying the question paper packets.”
Kulkarni emphasised that the examination process was unaffected. “The geography exam was conducted smoothly and on time. There was no paper leak, and everything proceeded as per schedule,” he said.
Ukirde said three police personnel, along with the block development officer (BDO) and the examination centre head, were suspended. “There were 64 CCTV cameras installed in the school, but they were switched on only during examinations. Had they been operational, the accused could have been identified earlier,” he said.
Ukirde added that negligence in round-the-clock surveillance led to the breach.
“This lapse by the BDO, home guards, and police personnel resulted in the incident,” he said.
The theft came to light on Tuesday morning when officials found the lock of the strong room at Sangola Vidya Mandir broken and two packets containing around 50 geography question papers missing.
