KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department of police, which has been entrusted with the investigation into the rampant leaks of question papers during the recent higher secondary school examinations, has sent its preliminary report to Chief Minister House, it emerged on Thursday.

In its report, the CTD identified various teachers, employees in the Board of Intermediate Education and ‘agents’ who were allegedly involved in the unfair practices during examinations at various places in the city.

Officials said the chief minister had taken cognisance of cheating via WhatsApp during the exams and leaking of question papers and ordered the inquiry into the matter earlier this month. They said the CTD officials were mandated to identify the board officials, private agents and students who were behind the menace.

The officials said they would conduct a detailed investigation into the matter after the inquiry report, which was “based on the interviews of mafia involved in leaking the papers and providing assistance to the students in return for bribe to solve the examination paper through the material provided on WhatsApp”.

The inquiry team recovered blank answer sheets from private agents and checked if action was taken against students who were caught while cheating during the examinations. The team also interviewed certain board officials and obtained the list of officials working in its secrecy department.

The officials said three employees working in the examination store had been questioned and were later arrested to investigate the matter thoroughly and to identify the officials allegedly involved in selling blank answer sheets to the agents.

The officials said the BIEK chairman had been asked to provide the details of the inquiry conducted against those who did not deposit the unused answer sheets and what action was taken against them.

The report of the chairman was still awaited, the officials added.

During the investigations, however, more than 20 employees of the board and nine private agents were found involved in paper leaks, and facilitating the students in cheating.

Meanwhile, several employees and agents have been absconding since the breaking of the news about paper leaks. The officials said departmental action against the employees was under way.

The inquiry report said they found more than a dozen officials who had been posted as centre superintendents on the recommendation of an influential organisation of teachers. It said interviews with the board officials whose names were disclosed by the agents were yet to be conducted to arrive at a logical conclusion.

The report said a case had to be registered for proper investigation by police and Anti-Corruption Establishment.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2017