Law enforcement officials in Maharashtra’s Parbhani have apprehended five individuals, including an exam supervisor, for their alleged involvement in photographing a nursing question paper while the test was actively underway and disseminating the image via WhatsApp.
Based on a PTI report, the alleged malpractice of leaking the paper occurred on Friday at the Indira Gandhi A.N.M. Nursing School in Parbhani. The incident took place during the first-year General Nursing and Midwifery examination, which had commenced precisely at its scheduled time of 10.30 am.
According to the police, Rakhi Chavan, who was deployed as an examination supervisor at the venue, allegedly utilized her mobile phone to capture an image of the test document just minutes after the session started. She then reportedly forwarded this photograph to her sister, Rani Chavan, using WhatsApp.
The suspected academic misconduct was uncovered during a routine inspection conducted by central examination personnel present at the facility.
Central Inspectors Detect Alleged Question Paper Photograph
Vishwajit Mathapati, the centre inspector, grew suspicious that the question paper might have been compromised and taken out of the examination centre while the assessment was still in progress. Acting on this suspicion, authorities conducted a search of the female invigilator and examined her mobile phone.
During the device inspection, officials allegedly discovered a photograph of the active examination question paper. Consequently, the administrators promptly notified the local police regarding the suspected malpractice.
Despite the incident and subsequent police notification, an official confirmed that the examination was conducted according to its original schedule and continued without interruption.
Five Arrested Under Maharashtra Examination Act
Following a formal complaint lodged by centre inspector Mathapati, law enforcement registered a case invoking specific provisions of the Maharashtra Examination Act against five individuals. The police identified the accused as examination supervisor Rakhi Chavan, her sister Rani Chavan, Pratiksha Kiran Khillare, Ishwar Baraboina, and Dilip Borkar.
All five persons have been formally arrested in connection with the incident. Police are currently conducting a thorough investigation to ascertain the exact circumstances under which the test material was photographed and allegedly shared, alongside determining the respective roles of each accused individual.
This development has raised ongoing concerns regarding examination security, particularly at a time when authorities are relying heavily on strict monitoring protocols and inspections to prevent malfeasance during competitive and professional assessments. Moving forward, examination authorities are expected to probe the circumstances surrounding the alleged sharing of the paper to determine whether the photograph was circulated further or leveraged to facilitate any unfair advantage.
