Guwahati, June 14: Three months after conducting a detailed investigation, the criminal investigation department (CID) of Assam Police has charge-sheeted 41 accused in connection with the leakage of the General Science question paper of HSLC Examination, 2023.
“After completion of investigation, 41 accused, including 10 teachers, two attendants, 24 students and five middlemen, were charge-sheeted under Sections 120 B/420/409/218/201 of IPC and Section 66 B of the IT Act for being part of the conspiracy to leak and circulate the question paper of General Science of HSLC Examination, 2023, along with 86 documents, statements of 128 witnesses and 48 material objects, before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup (Metro), Guwahati,” the superintendent of police, CID, Assam, informed on Wednesday.
Notably, a case vide CID police station (case number 03/2023) under Sections 120B/420/427 of IPC, read with Section 66 B of IT Act and additional Sections 409/201/218 of IPC, was registered on March 13, 2023 on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) related to the leakage of the General Science question paper of HSLC Examination, 2023.
“During investigation, it has come to light that Pranab Kumar Dutta, headmaster and centre-in-charge of Lohit Khaboli High School, Lakhimpur, in connivance with Kumud Rajkhowa, a teacher of Dafalakata Janajati High School, Lakhimpur, were the chief perpetrators of the conspiracy to leak the question paper of HSLC Examination, 2023 with an ulterior motive to sell the paper for pecuniary benefits,” the SP, CID said.
Dutta and Rajkhowa were arrested along with 39 others found to be involved in the conspiracy to leak and circulate the question paper.
During the search operation conducted at the residence of Dutta, half burnt pieces of the question paper of General Science subject of HSLC Examination, 2023 and ashes generated after burning the paper were recovered.
The pieces of the question paper were subsequently sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Guwahati, which FSL opined that the recovered half burnt pieces have similarity with the original question paper of General Science subject.
“Also as disclosed by Pranab Dutta during custodial interrogation, the sheet containing the handwritten answers of the MCQ (multiple choice questions) part of the General Science question paper of HSLC Examination, 2023 was seized from his rented house on being led and shown by him in presence of witnesses. The handwriting on this seized sheet matched with that of Pranab Dutta as opined by the handwriting expert of FSL, Guwahati,” the SP, CID stated.
“The seized sheet of paper containing the handwritten answers of MCQ part and questions along with the serial numbers also matched with the original question paper (now cancelled) of General Science subject of HSLC Examination, 2023, as certified by SEBA,” the CID official said.
The SP, CID further informed that Rajkhowa had copied the questions of General Science paper on a sheet of paper and circulated to known students through Whatsapp and received money in exchange. A total of 47 mobile phones, which received the hand written question papers, were seized and the deleted images were retrieved using cyber forensic tools.
The hand writing in these Whatsapp images matched with those of Rajkhowa and two students. The QR Code used and UPI transactions used for transferring the money to buy the question paper were also unearthed.
“Further, Jyoti Rekha Borgohain, principal of Bhauri Devi Sarawgi HS School, Kahilipara, and Herambo Kumar Das, assistant teacher of BDS HS School, Kahilipara, along with Chittaranjan Roy (casual worker of the school), were also charge-sheeted for submitting false reports to SEBA by suppressing the shortage of General Science question paper after the inspection,” the SP, CID said.