CBSE leak: 3 arrested in Jharkhand; main culprit an ABVP leader, alleges Congress

A group of students on Sunday staged a demonstration near the CBSE office at Preet Vihar in Delhi against the leak of Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economics papers.

New Delhi: In a fresh twist, the Jharkhand police said on Saturday that three people have been arrested and nine have been detained in the CBSE paper leak case. Those arrested are said to be part of a coaching institute called Study Vision.

"Three people have been arrested under provisions of IPC. Nine who are underage have been detained under Juvenile Act. The probe by our SIT is still underway," Superintendent of Police, Chatra, Jharkhand said.

Three people have been arrested under provisions of IPC; Nine who are underage have been detained under Juvenile Act. Probe by our SIT is still underway: Superintendent of Police Chatra, #Jharkhand on #CBSEPaperLeak pic.twitter.com/gAg1TrmALP — ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2018

The Delhi Police has registered two cases in connection with the leaks. The first case relating to the leak of the economics paper was lodged on March 27, 2018, and the other pertaining to the mathematics paper was lodged on March 28, following a complaint by the regional director of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The cases were registered on charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy. A Special Investigation Team comprising two deputy commissioners of police, four assistant commissioners and five inspectors has been set up to investigate the matter. The team is being supervised by the joint commissioner of police (crime). 

It was reported on Friday that the police had questioned over sixty people in connection with the leak, including the administrators of over ten WhatsApp groups on which the leaked question papers were shared.

All those questioned, including tutors and students, have revealed that they got the papers from someone else. There is nothing to indicate that money was charged for sharing these papers, PTI had quoted an official privy to the probe as saying.

It appears that if an amount was charged, it was quite minuscule and most of the papers were shared "out of friendship", police had further said. The WhatsApp groups mostly comprise students and tutors and some of them had common members, as per reports.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has sought details of the examination centres, their superintendents and the contacts of banks where the papers were kept for safekeeping and these have been furnished by the board.

Meanwhile, the Congress has claimed that Satish Pandey, ABVP district coordinator is "one of the main culprits in the CBSE paper leak. "If the only duty of ABVP is to play with student's lives as we have seen it in a couple of instances, the government must consider shutting it down," it tweeted.

Satish Pandey, ABVP District Coordinator has turned out to be a one of the main culprit in the #CBSEPaperLeak

If the only duty of ABVP is to play with student's lives as we have seen it in a couple of Instances, the Govt. Must consider shutting it down#ABVPleaksCBSEPaper pic.twitter.com/bhVkZRMwwf — MumbaiCongress (@INCMumbai) March 31, 2018

It only gets murkier. In the latest developments regarding the CBSE paper leak, the name of @ABVPVoice District Coordinator Satish Pandey has cropped up. Will the @BJP4India shield him? There is no statement from ABVP regarding his suspension either.#ABVPLeaksCBSEPaper — NSUI (@nsui) March 31, 2018

Now that the name of ABVP member Satish Pandey is involved, we are eager to see whether @ABVPVoice will take action against this 'culprit'. Time for them to prove their real 'concern'.#ABVPLeaksCBSEPaper pic.twitter.com/rMpo9F0VAr — NSUI (@nsui) March 31, 2018

In the latest developments regarding the CBSE paper leak, the name of @ABVPVoice District Coordinator Satish Pandey has cropped up in investigation.

Will the @BJP4India or @narendramodi take any responsibility?#ABVPLeaksCBSEPaper pic.twitter.com/OSMZjHbZmw — All India Mahila Congress (@MahilaCongress) March 31, 2018

On the other hand, the CBSE has informed the police that they had received five complaints informing them that the two papers were leaked. In the complaint pertaining to the mathematics paper, the board has said that a day before the exam, an e-mail was received on the CBSE chairperson's official ID informing about the leak. In the email, the sender had stated that the mathematics paper was leaked on WhatsApp and that it should be cancelled.

The mail also contained twelve images of the handwritten mathematics paper allegedly leaked on WhatsApp, according to the complaint. In its complaint to the police, the board had said that they received a complaint by fax on March 23 from an "unknown source" that a man running a coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar was involved in leaking the economics paper. The complaint also named two schools in Rajendra Nagar for their involvement in the alleged leak.

(With Agency inputs)