Jammu, March 13
In probably the biggest-ever case of using mobile phones during the exam, as many as 21 students of Class XII of a private college were caught by the police at village Kulian in Miran Sahib here.

A senior police officer told The Tribune that the students had concealed their cell phones and Bluetooth-operated headphones in their turbans while appearing in their exam of environmental sciences at New Gandhi Memorial B.Ed. College, Kulian. After the arrest of a large number of students involved in unfair means, it has exposed serious lapse on the part of the authorities concerned and fingers are also being raised over alleged involvement of College official behind the whole incident.

However, the authorities have outrightly denied their role in this incident. The police officer also termed it the biggest-ever arrest of students using unfair means to secure higher marks.

The sources revealed that two centres of the college were checked and 15 students from Centre number 254 and six students from Centre number 255 were arrested, while they were using cell phones.

Paramjit Singh, SHO, Miran Sahib police station said, “We conducted a surprise raid at about 2:30 pm in the College and found the students were using cell phones during their exam. A total of 21 students out of 172 students appearing in the exam were immediately arrested and the mobile phones have been seized. A case under the Unfair Means Act has been registered against them.” He added that the College authorities had also accompanied the police party during surprise raid. The SHO said that Chairman of the College, Sushil Mahajan in his statement recorded to the police had denied his role in this incident. “However at this moment we can’t rule out the possibility of the involvement of College authorities,” said Paramjeet Singh.

After the arrest of these students, the police has also appealed the students to ensure that no such unfair means are adopted so that their future is not jeopardised in any way. All students have been debarred from appearing in their next exam, till the completion of investigation.