An alleged incident of large-scale cheating surfaced during the Higher Secondary Certificate (Class 12) English examination in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, prompting police to file a First Information Report against 23 individuals on Wednesday. Among those named are examination invigilators and other personnel assigned to supervise the test. Authorities said the malpractice was detected on Tuesday, which marked the opening day of the statewide Class 12 board examinations conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. The examination centre where the irregularities were discovered is located in Jaitapur village of Kannad taluka, officials confirmed.
According to a police officer from Devgaon Rangari police station, the copying was uncovered at Rashtriya Higher Secondary School in Jaitapur after students were found reproducing answers from one another’s answer sheets during the English paper. The misconduct was substantiated through CCTV camera recordings installed at the examination centre, which clearly captured the unfair practices. After carefully reviewing the footage, the vigilance committee initiated immediate action. Subsequently, a criminal case was registered against 23 people, including Zilla Parishad teachers who were serving as invigilators, along with other members associated with the examination team.
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An official from the education department stated that steps have been taken to suspend the Zilla Parishad staff allegedly linked to the malpractice. He added that school employees found complicit in the incident would also face strict disciplinary measures. Following the exposure of the cheating episode, authorities replaced the entire staff deployed at the examination centre to ensure transparency and prevent further irregularities. Police said the case has been filed under relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act, 1982, and further investigation is currently underway.