HSC paper leak: Two college students arrested in Mumbai

Photographs of three pages each of question papers were circulated on a social media

Two college students were arrested from suburban Malad here last night by Navi Mumbai Police in connection with the leak of two question papers during the ongoing HSC Board exam.

Rahul Bachchelal Bhaskar (22) and Azharuddin Shaikh (20) --both students of TY (third year) and SY (second year) B.Com from a local college--were arrested from their residence at Malvani in Malad, said a senior police officer who did not wish to be identified.

According to police, photographs of three pages each of question papers of both Marathi and Secretarial Practice (SP) were circulated on a social media platform (Whatsapp) just before the commencement of exams on March 2 and March 4.

The examinations of Std 12th, conducted by Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (commonly called SSC and HSC Board) are being held at present.

After the first paper leak, Dattatray Jagtap, Chairman of Konkan division of the Board, filed a complaint with Vashi police in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

Subsequently, police initiated a probe into the case with the help of crime branch and as well as Cyber Cell and identified the WhatsApp group from where the leaks originated, the officer said.

Also, two separate offences have been registered against unidentified persons at Vashi Police Station in Navi Mumbai under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other specified Exams Act -1982 and the IT Act.

During investigations, a team of Navi Mumbai Police zeroed in on two students from Malvani area and arrested them late last night, said Hemant Nagrale, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner.

On Saturday, Jagtap had appealed the students not to panic and had said that no re-examination of Marathi and Secretarial Practise subjects would be held.