Three teachers, including the headmaster, of a Government high school for SC and ST students were arrested by Sundargarh Vigilance officials on Friday afternoon for collecting Rs 1,500 from each student promising them to provide answers of short questions (50 marks) in the upcoming matriculation examination to be held on February 22.
Significantly, the arrest of these teachers came in the wake of Board of Secondary Education of Odisha (BSEO’s) claim to initiate strong action against those committing malpractice during matriculation examination.
They were identified as headmaster Asutosh Ghadei and assistant teachers Sujit Bhoi and Sasadeb Nanda of Birkaldih High School under Balishankara block. They had asked 88 students of the school to give Rs 1,500 each to get the help.
One Baidyanath Tanti, a native under Balisankara block, lodged a complaint with Sundargarh vigilance officials on Friday morning regarding demand of money by the teachers. Tanti mentioned that he has two students in the school appearing in matriculation examination and therefore, he has to pay an amount of Rs 3,000. The vigilance department also came to know from Tanti that a meeting was conducted in the school premises on February 15, wherein the accused head maser and two assistant teachers had informed the guardians of all class X students of the school to pay an amount of Rs 1,500 each, latest by February 19, promising them to provide answers of 50 marks short questions during the examination.
Sundargarh vigilance laid a trap and caught Sujit Bhoi red-handed of the school on Friday afternoon. During raid, Rs 57,500 was recovered from Bhoi, which was collected by him from different students of the school. Vigilance sleuths later arrested Ghadei and Nanda.