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Coaching class owner sold SSC papers to fund school plan: Cops

KALYAN: The coaching class owner, Vazir Shaikh (39), who was arrested by the Bhiwandi police for his alleged involvement in the SSC paper leak case sold the papers to around 20 students for Rs 500 to Rs 5,000, said the police. At least three question papers were out on WhatsApp an hour before the exams.

There were no reports of a paper leak on Friday, the last day of SSC exams.



According to the police, Shaikh and some of the teachers from his coaching class-Career Education Classes-planned to set up a primary school (from classes I to VIII) in the name of Royal English School in an old building in Dhamankar Naka area. The plan was to run the school from an 800 sq ft two-room flat. In fact, last month, he had even shifted his coaching classes in the flat. The police believe that Shaikh wanted to use the ill-gotten money to purchase furniture for his school.

Shaikh's arrest has shocked his coaching class students. "We are in shock. We never believed that he would commit such an act," said a student, who lives in the building opposite to Shaikh's residence.

In a related development, the Narpoli police who are separately probing Thursday's History paper leak case found that six students had got the question paper before the exam and all of them were from Holy Mary Convent School in Bhiwandi.

To nab the culprits who leaked the paper from a sealed envelope an hour before the exam, the police questioned around 15 people, including exam conductors, teachers and students. Ankit Goel, deputy commissioner of police, Thane zone II, said, "We have called several people who had forwarded the question papers on WhatsApp for questioning to catch the real culprit who first leaked the paper."

Sharad Khandagale, secretary, Mumbai Divisional Board, said they did not get any report of a paper leak on Friday. He added that the board will have to wait for the police probe to take action against school officials who were in charge of exams.

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