Maharani’s Science College Principal pleads before University Probe Committee 

Mysore/Mysuru: The parallel investigation launched by the Internal Committee of the University of Mysore (UoM) into the  fake answer script racket being run to facilitate certain set of students from the University has made some progress and has recorded the statements of Maharani’s Science College Principal. 

The Principal pleaded his innocence before the Committee and said he was ready for any action the Varsity takes, sources said. 

Apart from the University Internal Committee, the City Crime Branch (CCB) too has taken up the sensational case where initially, Mandi Police Inspector Narayanaswamy was suspended and a few staff of Mandi Police Station have been booked for hushing up the entire episode in collusion with other culprits. 

An FIR has been booked against six persons including two employees of the University of Mysore over fake answer scripts racket at Mandi Police Station. Even the Lakshmipuram Police is digging the roots of the case.

The Committee Head Prof. A.P. Jnanaprakash, who is also the Registrar (Evaluation) of UoM, had summoned Maharani’s Science College Principal Prof. Padmanabha to appear before it on June 22 to record his version in the case. 

The College’s name figured in the racket after Chandan and Chethan, first year B.Sc students, were facilitated to clear their backlog Chemistry papers at the Maharani’s Science College examination centre. 

These students, who have been arrested now, had approached Mohammad Nissar, a Second Division Assistant (SDA), at the exam centre and he, in connivance with META-I firm from Bengaluru that had got the outsourced contract of conducting the University examinations, took blank answer scripts of absentee students and re-purposed the same with the answer scripts that were written in the names of Chandan and Chethan.

Along with Nissar, one Rakesh of META-I too is an accused in the case and both of them are at large.

The accused ran the full-fledged answer script writing and insertion racket from a lodge in city. After the answer scripts are written favouring certain students, they were handed over to Mohammad Nissar to be inserted into the bundles of all the answer scripts at Maharani’s Science College examination centre. 

Appearing before the UoM Committee at Crawford Hall, Prof. Padmanabha told that he assumed the charge as Principal only in March and he trusted Mohammad Nissar. “SDA Nissar was efficient in his duty and I had trusted him and as such, I had entrusted the examination centre job to him,” the Principal told the Committee, said sources. 

“As the Principal it is my responsibility to hand over all the answer scripts to the University after the conduct of the examination and there has been a lapse on my part in following rules. I am ready to face any action from the University,” said pleading his innocence before the Committee.  

Meanwhile, Mandi Police Inspector Narayanaswamy, who has been suspended for not registering an FIR despite being in the knowledge of the case with a intention of hushing it up, is trying for a bail and the Court has postponed the hearing to June 28, sources said.