Police ask: how many more answer sheets are missing?

The Bhandup police have written to Mumbai University officials asking them to conduct an inventory of Engineering exam answer sheets and to inform them if any are missing.

“ This will give us a better idea of the scope of the racket. We have also sent a list of seat numbers that were on the answer sheets seized from the accused, and asked the university to provide us with identities and contact details of the students,” an officer at Bhandup police station said.

DCP (Zone VII) Dr. Vinay Kumar Rathod said, “Apart from the 92 answer sheets seized, we have recovered five more. We have also identified two more accused, both of whom are clerical employees at MU and are wanted in the case.”

Police said the scope of the racket could be difficult to ascertain as the accused themselves do not remember how many answer sheets they have allowed examinees to tamper with. “During interrogation, the accused confessed to facilitating the tampering of at least 20 answer sheets in 2015. We know for sure that close to 100 answer sheets were tampered with this year. The accused had returned three modified answer sheets to the MU storeroom a day before their arrest. Getting a fix on the number of students who have passed thanks to this racket will be challenging,” another officer said.

While Dr. Rathod declined to comment on what action would be taken against the students, sources said they were likely to be prosecuted under the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at Universities and Other Specified Board Examination Act.

State Education Minister Vinod Tawde said the state government has invited suggestions from the police on steps to avoid such incidents in the future. “Once we get their report, we will implement the suggestions not only in Mumbai University but in all other colleges. We will go in for a CID probe if the ongoing probe is not satisfactory.”

Police said accused don't remember how many answer sheets were tampered with in three-year scam