The SSC (Secondary School Certificate) Hindi question paper was found circulating on WhatsApp groups on Tuesday, April 4, just a day after the SSC Telugu question paper was leaked, causing panic among the parents and students, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
All these instances started when a boy shared the question paper on a WhatsApp group after taking a photo of it to aid his friend. B Prasanth, a former journalist, who is another suspect, spread it to a media group to purposefully sabotage the entire examination system, said the police. Prasanth disseminated the false message that the paper has leaked, causing confusion among the parents. He then shared the paper with Bandi Sanjay Kumar, State Unit President, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through WhatsApp at 11.24 am, the police stated. Three out of four suspects have been reportedly arrested as informed by the Warangal Commissioner of Police (CP), AV Ranganath.
How the paper leak started
According to CP Ranganath, a 16-year-old boy photocopied the Hindi question paper inside the Zila Parishad High School examination centre in Kamalapur village located in Hanamkonda district after being refused by a fellow student when he requested to share the paper. He then took the photo of the paper at 9.40 am and sent the photo on WhatsApp to assist his friend. At 9.59 am, he forwarded the paper to M Shiva Ganesh, 18, who shared it with the '2019-20 SSC' WhatsApp group which was later forwarded to a former journalist, G Mahesh, by another accused.
Things got out of hand when Mahesh forwarded it to B Prasanth, who used to work for a vernacular news channel and then to another journalist's WhatsApp group at 11.19 am. From there, it went viral on social media. Prasanth further shared the question paper with Sanjay Kumar at 11.24 am, the CP said.
The police explained that Prashanth decisively distorted the facts to create dread among the students and the parents. "Prashanth prepared a message as a ‘breaking news’ stating that the Hindi question paper was leaked at 9.30 am and created panic among students and parents," the police said.
Can be termed as a paper leak?
Ranganath clarified that the incident cannot be considered as a paper leak since the paper was not out before the examination begins. The question paper was shared on WhatsApp groups only after the examination had started, and thus, it is not a case of paper leak, he stated.
Taking advantage of the situation Prashant forwarded the message to multiple individuals and within two hours, made 142 phone calls, according to the CP. The police have arrested the minor boy, Prashanth, and a student who took the exam. However, Mahesh, another accused, is still to be arrested.
Education Minister accuses BJP of using students to play dirty politics
P Sabitha Indra Reddy, Telangana Education Minister, accused BJP of attempting to tarnish the image of the KCR-led government and for deliberately creating panic over the recent exam paper leak. She reminded BJP to consider the impact of their actions on the lives of approximately five lakh people, putting them at risk. She pointed out that selfish political reasons should not interfere with the fair and safe conduct of examinations.
