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Gang providing unfair aid in PU exams busted

RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: A gang engaged in scientific manipulation of solving examination papers of candidates has been smashed by the local administration.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, the Deputy Commissioner of Faisalabad, Hasan Nawaz Tarar, said that the Intelligence Bureau was pursuing the gang for the last many days as a result of which two of its members were nabbed while the ring-leader managed to escape at the time of raid.

Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, the DC said that its members hunted weak, but rich, students appearing in various examinations of the Panjab University. The 'Prospecting customers' were thus spotted and offered, in writing, to contact its members if they were appearing in MBBS, LLB, BEd, and MEd examinations.

They guaranteed the candidates success after charging from Rs 14,000 up to Rs 1,50,000 for different examinations, he said.

He termed it 'Two Evils partnership' as this group consisted of private persons and officials of the University. After a bargain was stuck, the gang would monitor right from payment of admission fee to the issuance of roll number slips, allotment of examination centres, marking of answer sheets, tabulation and release of degrees.

The DC said that special examination centres were allotted to these candidates where friendly staff was deputed. Candidates were asked to solve only one paper and leave the remaining sheet blank. Immediately after the paper was over, their papers would be provided to competent persons who would be asked to solve it according in the candidates handwriting.

Again, these solved papers are returned where these are checked and marked along with the other papers without leaving any chance for the law enforcing agencies to detect the wrongfully solved papers.

The DC said that initially Nadeem Arshad, son of Malik Mohammad Arshad, resident of House No 327 St No 2, Samanabad, and Khadim Hussain, resident of Bank Colony, Samanabad, Lahore, have been arrested while their ring-leader, Rab Nawaz Siddiqi, son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Bank Colony, Samanabad, Lahore, managed to escape at the time of raid.

The police have recovered sensitive material and documents, in addition to receipts of post office, list of examination centres, award lists of various examinations of BA, B.Sc. LLB, BEd, MA, MEd, MSc and MBBS. Original answer sheet of a candidate involved in a case of unfair means (UFM) was also found, indicating that it was also replaced by a fresh answer sheet.

About the number of students to have us this channel for success, the DC said that their numbers "are in hundreds" if not in thousands. He said police is after this gang and special teams have been constituted to arrest its ring leader. Punjab University is also being informed about this to take action against its officials involved in this 'scientific crime', Hasan Nawaz Tarar said.