DERA GHAZI KHAN, June 15: The Dera Ghazi Khan Education Board authorities have found out that one person has appeared for the matriculation examination at least 22 times using different names in connivance with board officials, teachers and other influential people.

The accused has also appeared for at least eight examinations under Multan and Quetta boards of education.

The Dera BISE chairman has constituted a two-member committee to probe the matter while police have also registered a case against the accused.

As many as 16 candidates have also been chargesheeted for using unfair means to get the secondary school certificate without appearing in the examination.

During the scrutiny of the admission forms for SSC examination 2003, an official of the Dera BISE found out that same photograph accompanied two different names. BISE chairman Zahid Hussain inspected the Khangarh examination centre and traced the accused candidate, Mohammed Ramazan Nasir, son of Raheem Bakhsh Lashari and resident of Rohillanwali district, Muzaffargarh.

During investigation, the accused disclosed that he had appeared for the SSC examination on behalf of 16 other candidates since 1992 but said this time he was trying to improve his own marks.

In his written statement, the accused claimed that a gang comprising Dera board officials, teachers, influential people and heads of various schools used to have a share in deals with those getting the secondary school certificate without appearing for the exams. He was paid around Rs50,000 per case.

The Khangarh police have registered a case against the accused under Sections 419 and 420 of the PPC and the University Malpractice Act. The board is concealing the names of its staffers involved in the case.

The controller (examination), Prof Wajid Masood told Dawn that 16 candidates had been chargesheeted for using unfair means and called for inquiry.

He added that the education secretary, the deputy inspector general of police for the Dera Ghazi Khan Range, the Muzaffargarh DPO and highups of Quetta and Multan education boards had been informed about the matter.

He further added that the headmasters who had attested the bogus photographs and admission forms had also been called to explain their action.