Acting on a tip-off from her sources, social worker purchased the FYJC final exam paper from the premises of the college where her daughter studies
A day before her 15-year-old daughter was supposed to appear for her English paper, a 33-year-old social worker from Mumbra busted a gang that supplied leaked question papers of the final exam to the FYJC students of St Mary’s School and Junior College, Kausa, for Rs 1,000 each.
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Shahin Liyakat Khan displays the English question paper she purchased on Thursday night
The incident first came to light after Shahin Liyakat Khan’s daughter informed her mother about what she had witnessed before entering the exam hall. “It was her fifth paper (Economics) on Tuesday. After reaching home, my daughter narrated how two boys from her college handed over sheets of paper to two girls just 10 minutes before the exam. The girls got animated after scanning the sheets and hurried to the washroom.
I told my daughter that it could be a fake question paper and she should stay away from such people. I also told her to study hard and pass honestly,” Khan said.
Being a social worker, Khan approached her sources in the area to find out more about the suspected paper leak. Her tactic paid off and one of her sources told her about English paper being sold on the college premises on Thursday night.
“I was tipped off about the sale at 10:30 pm. Upon reaching the college grounds, I spotted two burqa-clad women, who asked for R1,000 when I checked with them about the question paper. The deal was finalised for Rs 800. The paper had the college logo and answers to all the questions,” Khan added.
The next day, she met the college authorities and asked them to stop the exam, but her request fell on deaf ears following which she decided to seek police help.
“Initially, even the police weren’t ready to believe me. But my persistence paid off and they asked two constables to accompany me back to the college. With their help, I asked for the question paper. All of us were taken aback when the question paper I had purchased matched with the one that was about to be circulated,” said Khan.
She added that later the college principal and a few locals visited the police station in this matter. “However, an FIR is yet to be registered in this matter. What is the point of our children studying hard when question papers can be procured this easily? College authorities and police must nab and initiate stringent action against the culprits or else I’ll approach the education department,” Khan said.
Cop speak
Refuting the allegation of non-cooperation, Senior Inspector Ravindra Tayade from Mumbra police station said. “No one has approached us yet. If any one comes to register a case, we will take appropriate action.”
However, DCP (Thane city) Sachin Patil confirmed that Khan had approached the police and a probe was ordered to verify her claims.