Three-member panel headed by retd judge to decide fate of erring students

JANUARY 8 INCIDENT Varsity committee finds clinching evidence against 11 engg students

BATHINDA: An external committee to be headed by a retired sessions judge will decide the fate of 11 students of the Bathinda-based Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University who were found involved in a question paper leak case early this month.

Vice-chancellor Mohan Paul Singh Ishar said the decision was taken after an internal committee found clinching evidence against the erring students of civil engineering branch. He said as per the protocol, a three-member panel chaired by a retired judge will award punishment to students for adopting unfair means in examination. He, however, did not reveal the names of the special committee members.

On January 8, a university team raided a room in boys’ hostel number-3 where a group of civil engineering students were found in possession of a digital copy of the leaked question paper of the environment science subject of the 5th semester.

A case under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Karampal Puri, a faculty member of a private college in Sangrur’s Lehragaga and Manjit Singh of Sangrur.

The FIR had also named 11 civil engineering students in whose possession the digital copy of a leaked paper was found.

The V-C confirmed that an in-house investigation hinted that the accused were also involved in leaking question papers for the past two years. “A forensic examination of mobile phones of the accused may give further give conclusive evidence,” said the V-C.

“The internal committee found a few other question papers on the mobile phones seized from the accused students. Data retrieved from the handsets has to be analysed by the police to verify dates on which the digital copies of question papers were exchanged on a Whatsapp group created by the accused. Action will be taken on the basis of investigation,” he said.

He said prima facie only a small group of students was found involved in the illegal practice and there is no evidence to suggest that leaked paper was delivered at other places.

Preliminary investigation says the paper was leaked only from Sangrur college. The main suspect, Karampal Puri, a faculty member of a private engineering college in Lehragaga, was dismissed after he reportedly admitted leaking the paper on January 8, the V-C said..

The university has also decided to disqualify the Sangrur college as an examination centre for three years and a show-cause notice has been served, he added.

SUMMONS ISSUED TO ACCUSED

DSP Aaswant Singh Dhaliwal said the police have issued summons on Thursday to all 13 persons named in the FIR. He said the accused will be questioned on Monday to ascertain the scale and involvement of other persons in the scam.

›Some other question papers have been found on mobile phones of accused students. Police will analyse the data to verify dates on which the digital copies of question papers were exchanged on Whatsapp group created by the accused.

MOHAN PAUL SINGH ISHAR, vice-chancellor, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University