The cyber Crime Cell of Nashik police arrested two youths for allegedly hacking the website of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and leaking the second-year BSc linear algebra examination paper. The police have identified the duo as Adesh Chopde (21) and Chinmay Atravhalkar (22), both students of Information Technology (IT) at the K K Wagh Engineering College, Nashik. The duo was produced in a court in Nashik on Monday. They have been remanded in police custody for three days. The police said that the second-year BSc linear algebra examination paper was leaked and it was circulated on social media on April 27. The next day, local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Jitendra Bhave brought the issue to light and filed a complaint with the SSPU authorities in Nashik. A three-member committee was formed by Vice-Chancellor Dr Nitin Karmalkar. It was headed by Dr V B Gaikwad, a professor. The panel also included professor A V Patel of Hire College and Dr Rajendra Talware of the examination department of SSPU. The committee visited various examination centres and found that the two students were involved in the act. SPPU officials said that a complaint in this regard was registered with the cyber crime cell of Nashik police, who are conducting further investigation. The university, however, refused to admit that the paper had been leaked. “The paper leak is not yet confirmed, investigations are on. Even decision about a re-examination will be taken after investigations are over and the committee submits its final report,” said a spokesperson of the university. Meanwhile, SPPU officials said the website of the university was operating properly. The website, www.unipune.ac.in, was launched about nine years ago.
