CBSE leak: Delhi Police identify whistleblower, with help from Google

The Delhi police has registered two cases in connection with CBSE paper leaks.

Students protest against board exam paper leak outside CBSE headquarters in New Delhi on March 31, 2018 (Pic courtesy: PTI)

New Delhi: Google on Saturday replied to Delhi Police's Crime Branch on the details it had sought pertaining to the e-mail address from where the CBSE chairperson was sent a mail about the Class 10 mathematics paper being leaked.

PTI quoted a senior police officer as saying that they had got a reply from the online search engine but refused to divulge further details.

"According to Delhi police, e-mail address details have been received from Google and that the person who sent the mail has been identified and inquiry is on," ANI reported. 

According to Delhi Police, e-mail address details have been received from Google and that the person who sent the mail has been identified and inquiry is on. A total of 53 students and 7 teachers have been questioned so far. #CBSEPaperLeaks

— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2018

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.

In order to identify the sender of the e-mail, the police had written to Google, asking it to share the details of the e-mail ID. 

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 CBSE.

The cases were registered on charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) 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). 

(With Agency inputs)