In yet another case of embarrassment to the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TBIE), boxes of question papers for advanced supplementary exams were reported missing from a police station in Warangal on Wednesday.
Two out of 13 boxes of question papers for the advanced examination, which is scheduled to begin on Friday, went missing from the Mills Colony police station here.
The incident came to light after the board officials went to the police station to deposit extra boxes of question papers, police said on Wednesday.
A preliminary probe by the police revealed that both intermediate and secondary school certificates (SSC) question papers were kept in two different trunks separately since March.
Police suspect that school education department officials took away the boxes containing intermediate question papers by mistake and not coming forward fearing punishment. The missing boxes contained question papers of Physics, Economics, Zoology, History and Mathematics.
The exam, however, will take place on the schedule but a new set of question papers will be used, officials said.
"Based on initial reports, question papers were kept in two different trunks, which were secured in the police station in Warangal went missing. As a replacement to these missing question papers, new sets are going to be used across the state." said Board's Secretary A Ashok said.
The police are examining the CCTV footages for further investigation.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Narasaiah said, "Generally an assistant Sub-Inspector and a Head Constable is assigned for the security of the question papers after they sealed by the respective head representatives. Post the sealing of the boxes of the question papers they have no access to the question papers and boxes."
An FIR has been registered against unknown persons by the Mills Colony police and is being investigated.
Around 19 students committed suicide over the past two months after over three lakh students failed in the intermediate exams conducted by the board.
( With inputs from ANI )