Pune: 2 booked for illegally raising marks of 178 students of distance learning institute

An FIR in the case has been registered at Pune City’s Cyber police station against two persons, including a former employee of the institute who was part of the re-evaluation process, and a former student.

THE Cyber crime arm of the Pune City police has registered an offence against two persons for allegedly increasing marks of 178 students illegally in the process of re-evaluation for an examination held by a distance learning institute in the city.

An FIR in the case has been registered at Pune City’s Cyber police station against two persons, including a former employee of the institute who was part of the re-evaluation process, and a former student.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime and Economic Offences) Sambhaji Kadam said, “The offence had taken place between September 2018 and December 2019 at the Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning. The suspects in the case tampered with the computerised system of revaluation of the exam assessment. The malpractices came to light in the internal probe conducted by the institute authorities, after which they approached the police.”

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Senior Inspector Jairam Paigude of Cyber police station said, “At the institute, the process of revaluation and granting grace marks has multiple steps. It is alleged that the suspects tampered with the system and fraudulently increased the marks of 178 students, in exchange of money. We have launched a probe into the modus operandi of the suspects… Arrests are yet to be made in the case and we are also investigating if more suspects are involved.”

Dr Swati Mujumdar, Director of Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning said, “After the incident came to light, we had set up an internal inquiry committee to examine the issue. Subsequently an examination malpractice reform committee was also set up. Each and every case of the student was examined and following the recommendations of the committee, marks of some of the students were nullified and they were made to take a re-examination. The said employee was also asked to resign and the case was referred to the police for investigation.”