Third Coaching Centre Dragged into Maharashtra HSC Paper Leak Investigation
In a significant escalation of the Maharashtra Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) paper leak scandal, police sources have confirmed that a third tuition centre has now been implicated. Investigators report that a sixth accused, who is currently evading capture, has emerged from this latest coaching outfit, deepening the complexity of the case.
Expanding Investigation and Elusive Suspect
The special investigation team (SIT), led by senior inspector Amol Deshmukh, has deployed officers across multiple locations in pursuit of the sixth accused. Police officials state that this individual possesses crucial information about the remaining links in the distribution chain. His mobile phones have been switched off, and he has gone underground, complicating apprehension efforts.
Chronology of the Paper Leak Unfolds
The investigation trail originated with Shashikant Mool, whose home-based tutoring sessions were the first to be raided. Mool was arrested on allegations of circulating leaked HSC physics and chemistry examination papers.
Subsequently, attention turned to Mustafa Khan and Munir Khan, proprietors of a prominent tuition centre in Nagpur's central Mominpura area, along with their HSC coordinator, Junaid. All three are currently in custody after Junaid reportedly forwarded the compromised question papers to students using his official work mobile device. Another individual, Farhan Akhtar, has been remanded to magisterial custody in connection with the case.
Fresh Leads Point to Additional Involvement
New investigative developments now indicate involvement from yet another significant player: a staff member from a separate, well-known coaching institute. This individual is suspected of supplying the leaked examination papers to the Mominpura centre. While police remain cautious about disclosing specific names, sources indicate that the sixth accused—likely this employee—will be formally identified shortly.
"The chain is longer than we initially anticipated," an officer involved in the investigation revealed. "We are meticulously tracing the pathway through which the examination papers circulated from one tuition group to another."
Potential Origin Within Examination Centre
Authorities theorize that the ultimate source of the leak may be located within an examination centre that also functions as a school, where the papers were first illicitly accessed. "Once we successfully identify and apprehend the originator, that educational institution will undergo thorough scrutiny," the officer further elaborated, highlighting the ongoing efforts to uncover the complete network responsible for the breach.
