Warangal SSC question paper issue: Attempt to malign Govt, BJP hand again

The alleged leak of the Hindi SSC question paper on Tuesday was a clear cut attempt to damage the image of the State government, according to the Warangal Police

Warangal: The alleged leak of the Hindi SSC question paper on Tuesday was a clear cut attempt to damage the image of the State government, according to the Warangal Police, who have apprehended three persons, including Booram Prashanth, a close aide of BJP State president Bandi Sanjay, in connection with the incident.

Warangal Commissioner of Police AV Ranganath said the incident could not be called a question paper leak, since the question paper was shared in a WhatsApp group at 9.59 am. There was no way it would reach candidates who were in the examination halls with no access to WhatsApp. It could have been an ‘attempt at mass copying’, which also did not happen.

Ranganath, addressing a press conference, said three persons, Mautam Shiva Ganesh, a driver, Booram Prashanth, a former journalist and currently a BJP worker, and a 16-year-old boy were apprehended by the Kamalapur police and booked under Section 5 of the Telangana Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractice and Unfair Means) Act. Their mobile phones were also seized. One more accused in the case, G Mahesh, a former reporter presently working as lab technician at KMC, Warangal, was yet to be arrested.

“The minor boy climbed the compound wall of the ZPHS with the help of a tree adjacent to it from behind the school under Kamalapur police station limits to help his friend Harish, who was writing the examination. He took a photograph on his mobile phone of the question paper from a boy in the third room at 9.59 am and sent it to Shiva Ganesh, who posted the question paper in a local WhatsApp group (SSC 2019-21),” he said.

Mahesh saw the message and forwarded it to Prashanth, who in turn forwarded the photo of the question paper to various groups including ‘Cnu Friends’, reportedly adding captions including ‘breaking news’ and ‘question paper leaked’. The photo and message then went viral via different WhatsApp groups. Prashanth also sent the same to Bandi Sanjay and is said to have made 146 calls in about an hour.

“As Education Department officials complained to the police, the investigation carried out by the Cyber department and the local police identified the accused,” Ranganath said, adding that it appeared that Prashanth intentionally created and shared some messages to create panic stating that the question paper was leaked. “But it is not at all a leak since it happened after 9.30 am,” the CP said.

TIMELINE:

• Exam starts at 9.30 am
• Minor boy scales ZPHS compound wall to help friend
• Takes photograph on phone of question paper
• Photo of question paper sent at 9.59 am to Shiva Ganesh
• Shiva Ganesh posts photo in local WhatsApp group (SSC 2019-21)
• Mahesh forwards photo to Prashanth
• Prashanth forwards photo to various groups
• Adds captions ‘breaking news’ and ‘question paper leaked’
• Also sent to WA group called ‘Cnu Friends’, message goes viral
• Prashanth sends same photo to Bandi Sanjay; makes 146 calls in an hour
• Education Department officials approach Warangal Police
• Police, Cyber Cell track messages, apprehend accused including the minor boy