Three students were caught with mobile phones that had copies of the leaked paper at a center at Bhiwandi in Thane district on Wednesday. This was after an NGO complained about similar incidents on March 11, 13, 15 and 18. Bhiwandi police have filed a FIR on both incidents and investigations are going on.
Govind Sharma, founder of Samvad foundation whose complaint had prompted the board to register a complaint said that the history paper which was scheduled at 11am on Thursday was also out on social media minutes before the exam.
"We received images of the paper from 10:10am. We have informed the police and the board officials about the same and have shared images of the same with them," added Sharma.
Following his complaint, flying squads of the board were deployed. They found three female students entering an exam centre with their phones at Bhiwandi. Officials found that they had copies of the leaked paper on their phones.
"We have reported the incident to the police immediately. The paper which the girls had on their phones matched with the original question paper," said Sharad Khandagale , secretary, Mumbai divisional board Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). Khandagale however said that no such incident was reported in any other centre across the city.
“We had filed a FIR on Tuesday night based on past incidents after officials from the board visited us. Moreover on Wednesday, we registered an offence again. Investigations at the two coordination centers and the images circulated on social media is in process,” said Ankit Goel, DCP, Zone 2, Bhiwandi, Thane.
{{/usCountry}}“We had filed a FIR on Tuesday night based on past incidents after officials from the board visited us. Moreover on Wednesday, we registered an offence again. Investigations at the two coordination centers and the images circulated on social media is in process,” said Ankit Goel, DCP, Zone 2, Bhiwandi, Thane.
{{/usCountry}}The MSBSHSE's secondary school certificate (SSC) examinations began on March 1. After a complaint from Samvad foundation, the board officials investigated and on Tuesday night lodged a complaint against two exam coordination centres in Bhiwandi.
On Tuesday night a case was registered under IPC Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) and provisions of the Information Technology Act as well as the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act. No arrest was made so far, the police said, adding that investigations was underway.