Deal sealed near mango grove

TNN | Mar 25, 2012, 06.04AM IST

BANGALORE: The conspirators who leaked the crucial II PU question papers sealed the deal in secret, near a shady mango grove, 25km from Kolar.

Ashwathanarayana Gowda, who was arrested on Thursday, the day the Physics question paper was leaked, revealed to police that the initial price for the Maths question paper was Rs 1 lakh, but after some hard bargaining, the deal was settled at Rs 40,000.

Police are on the lookout for Ajay Kumar, a realtor who masterminded the paper leak that forced the PU department to reschedule 15 examinations, and threw the academic schedule out of gear for over 5 lakh students.

The city police have not ruled out the involvement of PU department officials in the entire leakage drama.

"But we cannot say it with conviction, unless we complete investigations. We are on a hunt for the prime suspects, Shashikala and Ajay Kumar." While Shashikala is a resident of Katriguppe in Bangalore and a faculty in a private college, Ajay, a realtor, is from Annangur in Sidlaghatta.

Police officers say investigations will not proceed till either Shashikala or Ajay Kumar is arrested.

"According to Ashwathanarayana Gowda, it was Ajay who sold the Biology question paper for Rs 40,000 on March 14. The question paper and money were exchanged near a mango grove on Chintamani Road, close to Kolar."

"Ajay told me he would return the entire money if even a single question was different. The next day, we found it was ditto: every question tallied with the paper we got from him.

Ajay again contacted me, saying he would sell the Maths paper for Rs 1 lakh. However, after much bargaining, he agreed to sell it for Rs 40,000," Ashwathanarayana told police.

Shashikala met gang on March 15

Investigating authorities said Shashikala refused to meet Ranjith and Ashwathanarayana after the media highlighted the paper leak issue.

"First, Shashikala met the accused trio near Gandhi statue on Race Course Road on March 15. But what happened there, whether she sold the papers or purchased them, we have to investigate," they said.

Again, the gang planned to meet near Hotel Sindhu in Palace Guttahalli on March 22. However, the meeting did not take place as Shashikala did not turn up.