Maharashtra SSC history and political science paper leaked

A Class X History and Political Science paper, allegedly leaked by a teacher in Ambernath hours before the exam, reached the Instagram account of a student in Andheri on Monday. The leak, the second one to take place on Monday, was detected at M. V. M. Swami Muktanand High School in Veera Desai Road, Andheri West, minutes before the two-hour exam was scheduled to begin at 11 am.

Police said an invigilator, found three students outside an exam hall studying a book and a cellphone, which had the question papers. The students, aged 15, were allowed to take the exam, and were later taken to Amboli police station after the teacher informed the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education of the leak.

Police allowed the students to go after registering their statements. A case has been registered against unidentified individuals under the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University Board and Other Specified Examinations Act for Copying, Supplying and Distributing Examination Papers and Cheating by Personation under the Indian Penal Code.

A team, under Inspector Ravindra Salunke, to probe the source of the leak was formed. Within ten hours, police arrested Ambernath-based teacher and coaching centre-owner Firoz Abdul Majid Khan (45), Imran Shaikh (40), an employee at Khan’s coaching class in Mumbra and Anwarul Hassan (22), a student in Mumbai. They seized 11 cellphones from their possession.

Police also detained eight students and handed them over to their parents. A senior police official said that notices would be sent to parents of the juveniles, who will not be booked as offenders in the case. “We are probing how the students in Veera Desai Road received the question paper,” said Bharat Gaikwad, senior inspector, Amboli police station.

According to the police, Khan is Vice President and Maths teacher at a school in Ambernath and runs Brilliance Coaching Classes in the same area. He was earlier arrested in 2013 for allegedly illegally leaking Class X Algebra exam paper.

On Monday, Khan, whose school is a center for the ongoing exam, received the question paper. “He broke open the seal, took pictures of the exam paper and sent it to students studying at his coaching class. The question paper went from student to student and eventually landed at the Andheri student’s Instagram, account,” said the official. Police said more people are being probed for their role in the leak.

On Monday, 15 students at Sacred Heart School in Kalyan also received the paper on their cell phones. Examination authorities conducted a surprise check of students’ belongings and informed the police about the leak.

News Source (Indian Express)