Hyderabad: Parents and students stage a demonstration outside the Telangana Secretariat over the cancellation of Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (EAMCET-II) exams in Hyderabad on July 28, 2016. (Photo: IANS)
Hyderabad, July 29 (IANS) Telangana CID have arrested one more accused in the TS EAMCET-II-2016 (medical) question paper leakage case, officials said on Friday.
The CID arrested Ramesh alias Shaik Raheem, who acted as a broker, and seized Rs 37.5 lakh from his possession.
The 52-year-old is a native of Prakasam district in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
According to CID, Ramesh took 14 students from the two Telugu states to Pune, where they were given practice with a leaked question paper.
He collected Rs. 1.73 crore from the parents of the 14 students and of this, paid Rs 1.2 crore to a broker who took students to Pune. He deposited Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of his friend, the CID said.
This is the third arrest made by the CID in the case. It had Thursday arrested Vishnuvardhan and Thirumal Rao. The two accused allegedly contacted students, parents and took about 25 of them to Bangalore where Rajagopal Reddy arranged practice of questions and answers to them.
CID said efforts were on to apprehend the other brokers and kingpins.
The TS EAMCET-II-2016 (Medical) entrance examination for admission to MBBS and BDS courses in Telangana was held in on July 9.
The results were announced on July 13. Out of 50,961 students who appeared in the exam, 47,644 qualified.
The government ordered CID probe after reports that question paper was leaked to certain students and practice was given to them in unidentified locations with leaked question papers and as a result, average students got better ranks.
The investigating agency registered a case on July 25. During the course of investigation, suspected students were examined and it was established that two sets of question papers were leaked before the exam.
Investigation also revealed that students from Telangana and Andhra were taken to camps set up in at least at 5 cities about 2 to 3 days prior to the exam and were given practice with the leaked copies of 2 question papers consisting of 320 questions with correct answers.
The case has left the government in a quandary with a section of students and parents demanding cancellation of results and conduct of a fresh exam while others opposing it.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday held a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, Health Minister C. Laxma Reddy and top officials to discuss the future course of action. The government is likely to take a decision on conducting a fresh exam after the CID submits its inquiry report.
Students and parents opposing fresh exam on Friday tried to march to the state secretariat but were stopped and arrested by police.
Activists of the NSUI and Youth Congress tried to lay siege to ministers' quarters to demand immediate resignation of Deputy CM who also holds education portfolio and the health minister.
In another development, a PIL was filed in Hyderabad High Court seeking direction to the government to cancel the results and hold fresh exam.
