Karnataka question paper scam: Don't study, you will still pass, students were told

Bengaluru, April 18: The Criminal Investigation Department probing the question paper leak in Karnataka has unearthed some shocking details of how the scam has been in operation.

It may be recalled that the Chemistry question paper of the II PU exam had leaked twice forcing the examinations to be postponed.Before the CID is the deposition of 300 students who have narrated how the system had worked.

In the other part of the probe it has been found that Shivkumar, the main accused in the scam had sold question papers to 20 different private colleges for Rs 20 lakh each. This is just a tip of the iceberg and we are aware that he has been coordinating with more colleges across the state.

The capitation mafia:

Several private colleges and tutorials were raided following this scam. Some of these institutions have charged a capitation fee between Rs 5 and Rs 15 lakh. The assurance given to the parents is that the students need not worry about the PU exam and can focus only on the Common Entrance Test. The PU paper would be made available to the students a day in advance.

A day before the PU examination, the students would be told to stay back at the college and by-heart all the answers. The deposition by the 300 students suggests that they were given the question paper a day in advance and asked to by-heart all the answers. Further they also told the CID that they were assured of a 100 per cent result.

Investigators tell OneIndia such assurances can be given only when the question paper is available well in advance. Going by the results that these institutions have produced, the number of admissions went up and so did the demand for the capitation fee.

The CID has been corroborating the statements of the 300 students and found that each one had a similar version to the story. This had led to several raids being conducted on colleges and the authorities too had been questioned.

The Kingpin:

The investigators say that the probe led them up to Shivakumar who is now considered as the alleged kingpin in this scam. His last available location was Kerala. However, at the moment he has discarded his phone and it has become extremely difficult to track him.

Shivakumar has been in the business since 2008 according to the police. He did not deal with just PU question papers. Trails of him supplying question papers of MBBS, engineering, the KPSC and even Sub Inspector examinations have come to light.

Shivakumar according to the police was a teacher in a college. He took voluntary retirement and has been in the business of allegedly supplying question papers since 2008. He has come face to face with the law several times and all the police could do was book a case of theft against him. This because of the lack of stringent laws to prevent such crimes. A theft is an easily bailable offence.

Shivkumar's arrest is of extreme importance. While the police are aware that he is the one who allegedly supplied the papers, it is yet to be known who he purchased them from. He will have to reveal the names of the officials from whom he purchased the paper, the CID officer informed.

The ones who have been arrested so far are second rung operatives. The top rung is the one we need to get hold off the officer also said. We are aware that he would sell each question paper for Rs 20 lakh per college. There are 20 colleges which are under the scanner for having purchased question papers.

The names of more colleges across the state will come up during the probe as we believe that his area of operation could not have been limited to Bengaluru city alone.

OneIndia News