Algebra paper leak: Mumbai cops get 2 more witnesses

The city police crime branch, which is probing the SSC Algebra paper leak case, has come across two more persons who had allegedly helped solve a few questions of the Code C paper for the 16-year-old student who was caught with leaked paper. The police are likely to the duo prime witnesses in the case. One of them is a girl.

According to crime branch sources, on the day of the exam, the student had sought help from a boy and a girl (a teenager) to solve a few questions of Algebra. "Probably these two, who are known to the student's family, were not aware that the questions were part of the paper. They did solve a few questions, of which one was wrong. These answers were written on the rear side of the police form that was recovered from the student in the examination centre," said the source.

The police have recorded their statements. "The girl's handwriting sample has matched with the handwriting found on the police form," the source added.

On March 11, complainant Bharat Namdeo Sonawane was on examination duty at Yashwantrao Chavan primary school in Kandivli (W). Sonawane had distributed the Code D exam paper set to the student, but the Code C paper set, chits and a police form were found on him. The boy was caught by the Kandivli police and was later given bail by court.

"Our investigation has revealed that student's father, police constable Uday Kadam, 50, had helped his son to procure the Code C paper. We have also arrested Manges Lad, principal of Priyadarshni School, in the case," said a crime branch officer, requesting anonymity.

He added that Kadam had dropped his son outside the exam centre in police uniform and the duo had come 15 minutes after the exam had started. "Kadam had told the examiner that as per the SSC board's seating arrangement, his son would have to give the Code D paper set, but requested the examiner to provide him paper set of Code C," the officer said.