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Uttarakhand assistant professor arrested over alleged UTU semester exam paper leak
Uttarakhand Police arrested assistant professor Ashish Kumar Gupta for leaking examination questions prior to the UTU semester exams.
The Uttarakhand Police have arrested an assistant professor of Shivalik College of Engineering in Dehradun for allegedly leaking questions related to a Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) semester examination, as the state government continued its crackdown on examination malpractice.
According to the police, Ashish Kumar Gupta was arrested after an investigation into the alleged leak of questions linked to the UTU odd-even semester examination held on July 8. Officials said the case was registered at Prem Nagar police station following a complaint by UTU Controller of Examinations Dr Vinay Kumar Patel.
Probe points to WhatsApp sharing before exam
Police said Gupta allegedly shared important examination questions with students through a WhatsApp group before the examination. After the examination, university authorities compared the circulated questions with the actual question paper and found significant similarities, prompting an internal inquiry.
The university's internal investigation committee also concluded that similar questions had been circulated through students' WhatsApp groups and other channels before the examination. Based on the findings, the police collected evidence and arrested the accused assistant professor.
Officials said electronic devices seized during the investigation are being examined to determine the extent of the alleged leak. Police are also probing the possible involvement of other individuals and whether a larger network was involved in the incident.
Government reiterates zero-tolerance policy
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the state government was following a zero-tolerance policy against those attempting to compromise the future of students through examination-related offences.
He said strict action would be taken against anyone involved in cheating, question paper leaks or any breach of confidentiality in recruitment or university examinations. "Whether it is recruitment examinations or university examinations, those involved in question paper leaks or compromising the integrity of the examination system will not be spared," he said.
The Chief Minister said that since the implementation of Uttarakhand's anti-cheating law, more than 100 members of alleged cheating rackets and their associates have been arrested in various cases. He added that the government's objective was to ensure a fair and transparent examination system for students and that the campaign against examination malpractice would continue.
Police said further investigation is underway to identify all those connected with the alleged paper leak and ascertain the full scope of the operation.
