Question paper 'leak': Police cane protestors

Kozhikode, Mar 8 (UNI) Three persons, including a reporter, sustained injuries as police resorted to lathicharge on a rampaging crowd demanding a probe into the alleged leakage of SSLC question papers in the city today.

Trouble began when pro-Left student union activists attempted to prevent the transportation of the question paper, seized earlier from the premises of a parcel agency in the city, from the Kasaba Police station.

While clearing the way for the vehicle, police resorted to minor cane charge injuring Dyana and Mumtas Sindhu of the SFI and AISF respectively. Television reporter Biju, who was covering the incident, also sustained injuries in the melee. As many as 50 activists were taken into custody and removed from the scene.

Addressing the agitators, CPI (M) District Committee Member P C Mohanan said ''what we wanted was a probe and postponement of the examination if the question paper had been leaked.'' As per law, the question papers should be transported under tight security and accompanied by a senior official of the Education Department but it was lying unattended on the verandah of a parcel agency last night, the activists said. CPI MLA Binoy Viswam and DYFI State Secretary A Pradeep Kumar were among those present.

Earlier in the day, the SFI activists ransacked the office of the Deputy Director of Education for keeping the question paper unattended.

Ruling out postponement of examination, Education Minister E T Mohammad Basheer said at Thiruvanthapuram ruled out the possibiilty of any leakage and added the activists were deriving political mileage out of a minor incident ahead of Assembly elections in the state.

UNI PCH RL HT1957