The Deputy Registrar of Kerala's Kottayam-based Mahatma Gandhi University on Tuesday found evidence to support the charge against Inspector General of Police TJ Jose that he had committed cheating while writing an llM examination on Monday at St Paul's College in Kalamassery near Kochi, an off-campus centre of the university.
University Deputy Registrar AC Babu, who held a preliminary enquiry, submitted a report to Vice-Chancellor Babu Sebastian through the Controller of Examinations saying that he had collected evidence that support the invigilator's claim that he had caught the IGP red-handed while copying answers from photocopied pages of a study guide during the exam.
A special high-level meeting will be held at the university on Wednesday evening to discuss the issue of the examination malpractices allegedly committed by IGP Jose on the basis of the report submitted by the Deputy Registrar. The meeting is expected to decide the course of action to be followed in the matter.
IGP Jose was on Monday sent out of the examination hall at St Paul's College after the invigilator caught him red-handed while copying answers from guidebook pages. However, the police official had refused to hand over the papers he used for committing the cheating despite the insistence of the invigilator and the college vice-principal in charge of the examination.
Immediately after the incident, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala asked Jose to go on leave and ordered a departmental enquiry into the incident by Additional DGP (North Zone) N Shanker Reddy. However, Jose denied the allegation claiming that he had gone out of the hall after completing the examination.
The Deputy Registrar collected statements from five college officials, including the invigilator and superintendent and deputy superintendent in charge of the examinations. He was told that IGP Jose had left the examination hall before they could question him in detail after he was found copying answers from some papers he had smuggled in wrapped in a handkerchief.
All the five officials interviewed by the Deputy Registrar confirmed that the police official had committed examination malpractice. "I have received a report from the Deputy Registrar saying that malpractice had indeed been committed and that articles had been brought to the exam hall for committing the malpractice," said the Controller of Examinations.
The Deputy Registrar, who recommended a detailed enquiry into the incident, said in his report that the police official would have to be questioned. A special committee should be constituted to probe the matter, he said. These recommendations will come up for discussion at the meeting on Wednesday.
The IGP could be debarred from appearing examinations for up to three years if the allegation against him is proved. At the same time, the police probe into the matter has not yet started. ADGP Reddy has taken a position that a formal probe could start only after getting a clear picture of the incident.