Nagpur police form SIT to probe Class 12 board paper leak, four arrested

Nagpur police have formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the alleged leak of Class 12 board examination papers, amid indications that the breach may extend beyond a single center and involve multiple private coaching institutes.

Investigators believe the scale of the leak could be wider than initially suspected, with several coaching centers possibly linked to the circulation of question papers. The development has triggered concern among operators of private coaching institutes across the city.

Four people have been arrested so far in connection with the case, including three individuals associated with private coaching institutes.

Among those taken into custody earlier were Nishikant Mul, who runs a private coaching institute and also works as a tutor, and an 18-year-old student, Faizan.

Police arrested Mustafa Khan, director of a coaching institute called Excellent Academy, along with his associate Junaid Mohammad.

Officials described Mustafa as a crucial link in the investigation and said the network under scrutiny may also have connections with officials from the state education board that conducts the examinations.

The case surfaced at the St Ursula examination center in Nagpur after a girl student reportedly spent about 15 minutes in the washroom during the Chemistry examination. Invigilators grew suspicious and questioned her. A smartphone was allegedly found in her possession.

According to the police, the Chemistry question paper along with its complete answers was discovered on her phone in a WhatsApp group.

The material had reportedly been shared in a group named "XII" that had 19 members. Investigators later found that the Physics paper had also been circulated in the same group a day earlier.

A five-member SIT comprising local police officials has been tasked with carrying out a continuous and coordinated investigation.

The team will focus on identifying the original source of the leak, examining the possible involvement of examination board officials, and tracing the chain of recipients to determine whether the papers were shared with individuals in other districts of the state.