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Patna: Katihar DM orders probe into 3600 missing answer sheets

PATNA: The Katihar district administration has ordered a probe into over 3,600 missing answer sheets of Hindi of the Matriculation Examination-2019 from the premises of the Katihar government high school. The examination was conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) from February 21 to February 28 this year and results were declared in April.



Katihar education officer (DEO) Deobind Kumar Singh said the inquiry was initiated on the directive of the district magistrate Poonam after she received a complaint about missing answer sheets from a room of the school on April 15. Subsequently, a two-member committee—Sanjay Kumar and Brajesh Kumar—both district programme officers (DPOs) was set up.

Singh said the in charge of the strong room in which the answersheets were safely stored after evaluation and the night watchman were put under suspension on the recommendations of the probe committee. In addition, the centre superintendent Ashok Pathak, has been served a show-cause notice asking him to explain within a week under what circumstances the answer sheets were stolen.

The DEO said that an FIR had also been lodged with the Katihar town police station. “I have already informed the BSEB officials about the missing answer sheets and sent an action taken report (ATR),” he said, adding lapses on the part of the school led to the incident. The answer sheets are supposed to be kept in store at least for a year after evaluation.

Katihar Town police station SHO Ranjan Kumar said an FIR under sections 461 (dishonestly breaking open receptacle containing property) and 379 (theft) of IPC has been lodged against unidentified persons. “Further investigation is on,” he told the newspaper over phone from Katihar on Wednesday.

An investigating officer said that the iron grill of the room in which the answer sheets were kept was found damaged. Altogether 18 bundles were stolen from the school premises, he said and added that the role of the watchman and other staff was under scanner. Sources added that the stolen answer sheets of Hindi belonged to Bhagalpur district .

The DEO has also recommended departmental proceedings against the in charge of the strong room Vibash Kumar, who was posted as a clerk.

A similar incident had earlier happened in Gopalganj. BSEB chairman Anand Kishor could not be reached for his comments.

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