The role of private self-financing colleges being hand-in-glove with the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) officials and playing with the careers of lakhs of students came to light on Monday with the Crime Branch arresting the chairman of a Sambalpur-based private Plus-Two College and suspending the Deputy Secretary of the Council Debendra Behera for the physics question paper leak.
Shandilya College of Science and Commerce Chairman Kartik Chandra Barik, who was picked up by the Crime Branch, confessed to the crime and pointed at Behera as the main source of the question paper leak. Behera had allegedly received Rs 3 lakh from Shandilya College for leaking the question papers.
Additional Director-General, Crime Branch, B K Sharma said Behera had provided photostat copies of physics question paper to Barik and called out over phone the details of the English paper too. Behera is believed to have passed on the question papers to other private colleges in exchange of money.
It was a teacher of Shandilya College who turned out to be the whistle-blower in the case. Once the college authorities received the question paper and circulated the same among students, the disgusted teacher picked up the phone and called the Odia daily and passed on the information, thereby blowing the lid off the leakage.
The Crime Branch, which had focused its attention on Sambalpur trailing the clues from the Odia daily that published the question paper, will now expand its scope to other areas of the State.
Sharma said the role of CHSE insiders is strongly suspected since the question papers are likely to be tampered with and leaked during transit.
In fact, Behera was apparently provided the question papers taking advantage of such loopholes.
According to the modus operandi, Behera used to pass on the question paper a day before (preferably an evening before) the examination which ensured confidentiality, maximum remuneration and strong bargaining power. It was being done carefully to avoid making public the leak since that would attract attention. Sharma said it is a well-oiled racket that has been in existence for quite some years. Question papers are either provided in hand-written manner, photostat copies or over phone.
The Crime Branch has also picked up a Senior Assistant of CHSE Sushant Mohanty for quizzing in this connection. More private colleges, which are believed to have received leaked question papers, are under the scanner of the CB.