The Nandikotkur police arrested six persons in connection with malpractice during the SSC examination at the Girls’ Gandhi Memorial Government Higher Secondary School at Nandikotkur on April 29 (Friday). 

At a press conference at Nandikotkur on Monday, Atmakur Deputy Superintendent of Police Yerraguntla Shruthi said the accused had allegedly stolen a question paper of a student who was sitting close to a window at the examination centre and tried to get photocopies of the question paper to help a friend.

After making the photocopies of the question paper, the accused allegedly got answers written by an English teacher, Sreedhar with the help of Navanandi school’s Physical Education Teacher Somasundar Reddy. They allegedly tried to pass on the photocopies of answers to students. However, an invigilators took notice of it and alerted the officials concerned.

The accused have been identified as Avula Vasanth Kumar, Arla Raju, Somasundar Reddy, Sreedhar, Seshanna and Ameer Basha, owner of photocopy shop. They were produced before the court and remanded. One more accused, identified as Naveen Kumar Reddy, is absconding.

Meanwhile, a rumour spread that question paper got leaked in Alur in Kurnool district and a photograph was doing the round in the social media till Monday noon. Claims pertaining to question paper leak and malpractice at various schools in Nandyal, C. Belagal and Aluru went viral.

However, District Education Officer V. Ranga Reddy clarified that they were rumours. “No incident of malpractice was reported,” he said. Superintendent of Police Ch. Sudheer Kumar Reddy visited Alur and inquired about the claims pertaining to question paper leak.