Dhanagare suspects influential racketeers

KOLHAPUR, June 28: Expressing concern over the alleged delay in probing the engineering answer sheet scandal, Shivaji University Vice-Cha...

KOLHAPUR, June 28: Expressing concern over the alleged delay in probing the engineering answer sheet scandal, Shivaji University Vice-Chancellor D N Dhanagare has unambiguously voiced his suspicion over involvement of some 8220;influential racketeers.8221;

It was not possible for a single individual to replace the university answer books selectively, the vice-chancellor said speaking to the media persons recently. The evidence gathered so far in connection with the alleged replacements of the engineering answer sheets indicated the presence of a major network, he said.

Dhanagare said two months have passed since the university handed over the case to the police for investigation. The university has passed on all the evidences available with it but the police have not made any progress, he alleged.

It is alleged that during the last few years, the answer papers of the university8217;s engineering faculty are being changed by certain people. The university had been on the trail of the culprits. The university had examined all the pages of the answer books, the ink used on all papers as well as the pins of staplers. After maintaining such a strict vigil, the university had found some evidences which were subsequently passed on to the investigating police personnel. However, the police has not achieved any progress beyond the university8217;s own investigation, the vice-chancellor alleged.

Dhanagare said that last year the university had found that 96 engineering students had changed 106 answer papers. It had conducted an inquiry and subsequently, a complaint against 40 accused students was lodged with the Rajarampuri police station. The police had even arrested six of these accused.

In their statements, the students had named a single person and even that person had confessed that he alone was involved in this racket.

Accepting the confession of this individual as the truth, the police had closed their further investigation, Dhanagare said and added that however the university believes that altering the university8217;s answer papers cannot be a job of a single person. The university suspects that some influential persons are involved in this scandal and therefore, a single person is accepting the total responsibility of this racket, he alleged.

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The alterations in the answer papers had taken place last year after the declaration of results and before the revaluation of papers. The culprits had changed pages of the answer papers. The vice-chancellor said that the university has proofs that the culprits had changed the pages, there are also evidences of changes of stapler8217;s pins and the ink used on answer papers. Based on these evidences, Shivaji University had taken action against the involved students, he said.

Dhanagare said the answer papers of the engineering subject were kept on the ground floor of the university8217;s library. In his confession to the police, the accused said that he had taken possession of the answer papers after breaking open the window of the room. The police have believed his confession, Dhanagare said.

He, however, added that there are lakhs of answer papers and it is not possible for a single individual to locate the selective answer papers. Therefore, there is sufficient ground to believe that there exists a wide net work which effected alterations in answer papers, he said.

The vice-chancellor said that the university is aware that the incidents of effecting changes in answer papers have been taking place since 1990-91.