The investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the chemistry question paper leakages has pointed at a former lecturer, Shivakumar, who has now emerged as a key suspect in the scam. He was also the prime accused in the 2012 question paper leakage case.
The sleuths, after analysing the mobile phone call records, came across Shivakumar, a former lecturer and a native of Tumakuru, who is now on the run.
Sources said Shivakumar took voluntary retirement to start tutorials across the State and allegedly had nexus with the DPUE officials to get the question papers. The CID has detained a few associates of Shivakumar for questioning, and they are suspected to have played an active role in circulating the leaked question papers. The detention of Shivakumar could lead the investigators to the key culprit in the department who may have leaked the paper, sources said.
Protocol violated?
Meanwhile, the Department of Primary and Secondary Education is now looking if officials involved in the examination process conducted the examination as per protocol.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to the DPUE office, Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education Kimmane Ratnakar said that once the CID investigation was complete, action would be initiated against officials who had failed to conduct the exams as per protocol. He said he would urge the CID to investigate if those helping students to indulge in malpractices in exam centres in various parts of the State also had a hand in the question paper leakage. He said that based on the recommendations of the committee set up to oversee the conduct of the re-exam, technology would be used to dispatch question papers to to exam centres for next year.
He said the department would install CCTV cameras in the DPUE office.
