Beed, February 17 Five teachers, who were allegedly caught facilitating large-scale cheating during an HSC (Class 12) examination paper at a center in Maharashtra's Beed district, have been suspended, an official said on Tuesday.
The police had registered a first information report (FIR) against 17 teachers after a drone camera exposed large-scale cheating on February 10, the first day of the Class 12 exams conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, at Center 224 in Chousala.
Surveillance cameras mounted on drones deployed by the authorities captured supervisors in 16 examination halls, not only failing to prevent cheating but also allegedly helping students cheat openly.
The official said five teachers from Bhalchandra Vidyalaya in Limbaganesh have been suspended in connection with the malpractice, and 12 from three other schools and junior colleges are under investigation and may face suspension as the investigation widens.
After learning about the February 10 incident, Beed Collector Vivek Johnson ordered strict action against those responsible for the lapse.
Accordingly, an FIR was registered against 17 teachers, including the chief conductor of the exam center, at the Neknoor police station, and charges under the Maharashtra Universities, Boards and Other Specified Examinations (Prevention of Malpractices) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were invoked.
The Education Department subsequently directed the concerned institutions to suspend the implicated staff.
