Eight persons arrested for SSLC preparatory exam question paper leak

The North Division Cyber Crime police have arrested eight persons, including six teachers, in connection with the SSLC preparatory examination question paper leak. They have detained two students for questioning.

The arrests were made following an investigation into the leak of the Hindi subject preparatory examination question paper a few days ago.

The language question papers were allegedly circulated on YouTube, prompting officials of the Department of Pre-University Education to file a complaint.

Large network

During the investigation, the police uncovered a large network involved in leaking examination question papers. The accused were being questioned to ascertain how the question paper was leaked and whether more persons were involved in the racket, the police said.

The accused include teachers and headmasters working in Tumakuru, Bengaluru South, and Kalaburagi districts. Probe revealed that the question paper was allegedly leaked and circulated through Instagram and Telegram groups, and students accessed the papers through private messages.

The police said the leaked question papers were being sold in the range of ₹200 to ₹500.

During the probe, the police traced the leak to specific teacher login codes used to download the question papers, which led to the arrests. Investigators suspected that some teachers obtained the question papers and shared them online or facilitated their circulation.

Phones seized

The police have seized the mobile phones of the accused and were examining social media accounts, group chats, and digital trails to determine who leaked the paper first, how many groups were created, how widely the paper was shared, and whether the accused were acting independently or as part of an organised network.

The police were also probing whether the accused had any links with board officials or staff, and whether similar offences were committed in the past. Given that the SSLC board examinations are approaching, the police said the investigation has been launched, and the case would be looked at from multiple angles.