Fractured Justice
A year has passed since the writers’ scam, involving two class XII students, was exposed. The two students, Harsh Kotak and Komal Patel, have been penalised for feigning injuries in their hands during examination. However, little — or no — action has been taken against the Board officials and school trustees who used their guile to help the students bend rules, finds Yogesh Avasthi
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, March 15, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2009031520090315030307173393dfd79)
Insult to injury
On March 14, 2008, Harsh Kotak and Komal Patel were caught feigning injuries while taking their class XII chemistry board exam at AG High School. Harsh and Komal, both hailing from influential families, were caught during a surprise check conducted by the then principal secretary (education), P Paneervel. The two students were taken to the GU-area police station, where officials decided to subject them to a medical test. Harsh and Komal — students of Swastik High School and St Kabir School, respectively — were then taken to the Civil Hospital, where a doctor confirmed that they had no injuries.
Sinister shuffle
Following the surprise check at AG High School, the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) learnt that exam writers for Harsh and Komal were changed at the eleventh hour. Initially, Hridaya Acharya and Parth Pandya of Swastik High School were asked to write for Harsh and Komal.
However, Hridaya and Parth reportedly backed out after they learnt that Harsh and Komal were faking their injuries. Senior officials of HB Kapadia School then reportedly asked two class XI science students, Dharmik Patel and Kevin Desai, to appear as writers for Harsh and Komal.
The rogues & their roles
Sources said that an inquiry initiated by the GSHSEB pointed to the involvement of not only influential school trustees and heads, but also senior board officials. H N Chadva, who was then the secretary of GSHSEB, was considered by some the brain behind the writers’ scam. Raja Pathak, a trustee of Swastik High School, and Muktak Kapadia, a trustee of HB Kapadia School, had also reportedly used their clout to arrange writers from their institutes for Harsh and Komal. Officials at AG High School, including the then in-charge principal — K M Thakre — and examiner Meera Vajiragi, were also quizzed because they apparently didn’t ask Harsh and Komal to produce documents corroborating their injury claim.
The school officials also failed to notice that the writers for Harsh and Komal were changed on March 14, 2008. Three teachers, who are yet to be named by the GSHSEB, were also under the scanner for helping Harsh and Komal take the physics exam on March 12. A zonal officer and an assistant zonal officer of the GSHSEB, M G Doshi and R J Patel, also faced scrutiny for their involvement in the scam.
Who got the rap, who didn’t
On May 8, 2008, the education board barred Harsh and Komal from taking examinations till 2011. The education board announced the punishment following a report by the RJ Mankadiya Committee, which was formed to probe the scam. The board ordered disciplinary action against Pathak. It also ordered disciplinary action against Thakre, Ranjeet Gill and Kalpana Trivedi, the then principals of AG High School, HB Kapadia School and St Kabir School, respectively.The GSHSEB asked the police to probe the roles of the three teachers who helped Harsh and Komal take their physics exam on March 12 last year and the doctors who issued medical certificates for hand injuries.
It also transferred Chavda and two zonal officers. Though Kapadia’s name cropped up several times in the scam, the board didn’t order any action against him. The board also found no wrongdoing by the four writers from Swastik High School and HB Kapadia School. In fact, the GSHSEB praised two of the writers, Parth and Hriday, for refusing to help Harsh and Komal.
Raja Pathak has been accused of using his guile to get writers for Harsh and KomalMen with clout let of easily?
Sources in the GSHSEB say the people accused in the writers’ scam have been let off with mild punishment. They say the principals of the aforesaid schools have wriggled out the controversy by simply agreeing to cuts in their annual increment. The sources also say that the trustees of Swastik High School and HB Kapadia School have not faced action for drafting in writers for Harsh and Komal. The transfer of Chavda, the sources say, is also an eyewash. “ He has been sent to Anand PTC college. This is hardly a punishment because he had been seeking a transfer since a long time,” they said.
Headway a headache for cops
To date, the police have not arrested a single person named by the education board in the scam. They are also yet to take any action against the three teachers who helped Harsh and Komal cheat on March 12, 2008. Sources in the police department say the probe into the scam has not progressed because the aforesaid schools and even the board have failed to provide necessary documents.
March 14, 2008: The then principal secretary (education), P Paneervel, catches Harsh and Komal feigning injuries
August, 2008: The GSHSEB reportedly gives a clean chit to Muktak Kapadia
September 29, 2008: The Gujarat HC serves notices on the education board in connection with the writers’ scam
April 29, 2008: The review panel of GSHSEB questions 15 people
May 8, 2008: The education board bars Harsh Kotak and Komal Patel from taking examinations till 2011
January, 2009: The Gujarat HC asks the education board to take action against accused schools and trustees
March, 2009: The chairman of GSHSEB writes to the police commissioner to seek details of the probe into the writers’ scam
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, March 15, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2009031520090315030307173393dfd79)
Insult to injury
On March 14, 2008, Harsh Kotak and Komal Patel were caught feigning injuries while taking their class XII chemistry board exam at AG High School. Harsh and Komal, both hailing from influential families, were caught during a surprise check conducted by the then principal secretary (education), P Paneervel. The two students were taken to the GU-area police station, where officials decided to subject them to a medical test. Harsh and Komal — students of Swastik High School and St Kabir School, respectively — were then taken to the Civil Hospital, where a doctor confirmed that they had no injuries.
Sinister shuffle
Following the surprise check at AG High School, the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) learnt that exam writers for Harsh and Komal were changed at the eleventh hour. Initially, Hridaya Acharya and Parth Pandya of Swastik High School were asked to write for Harsh and Komal.
However, Hridaya and Parth reportedly backed out after they learnt that Harsh and Komal were faking their injuries. Senior officials of HB Kapadia School then reportedly asked two class XI science students, Dharmik Patel and Kevin Desai, to appear as writers for Harsh and Komal.
The rogues & their roles
Sources said that an inquiry initiated by the GSHSEB pointed to the involvement of not only influential school trustees and heads, but also senior board officials. H N Chadva, who was then the secretary of GSHSEB, was considered by some the brain behind the writers’ scam. Raja Pathak, a trustee of Swastik High School, and Muktak Kapadia, a trustee of HB Kapadia School, had also reportedly used their clout to arrange writers from their institutes for Harsh and Komal. Officials at AG High School, including the then in-charge principal — K M Thakre — and examiner Meera Vajiragi, were also quizzed because they apparently didn’t ask Harsh and Komal to produce documents corroborating their injury claim.
The school officials also failed to notice that the writers for Harsh and Komal were changed on March 14, 2008. Three teachers, who are yet to be named by the GSHSEB, were also under the scanner for helping Harsh and Komal take the physics exam on March 12. A zonal officer and an assistant zonal officer of the GSHSEB, M G Doshi and R J Patel, also faced scrutiny for their involvement in the scam.
Who got the rap, who didn’t
On May 8, 2008, the education board barred Harsh and Komal from taking examinations till 2011. The education board announced the punishment following a report by the RJ Mankadiya Committee, which was formed to probe the scam. The board ordered disciplinary action against Pathak. It also ordered disciplinary action against Thakre, Ranjeet Gill and Kalpana Trivedi, the then principals of AG High School, HB Kapadia School and St Kabir School, respectively.The GSHSEB asked the police to probe the roles of the three teachers who helped Harsh and Komal take their physics exam on March 12 last year and the doctors who issued medical certificates for hand injuries.
It also transferred Chavda and two zonal officers. Though Kapadia’s name cropped up several times in the scam, the board didn’t order any action against him. The board also found no wrongdoing by the four writers from Swastik High School and HB Kapadia School. In fact, the GSHSEB praised two of the writers, Parth and Hriday, for refusing to help Harsh and Komal.
Raja Pathak has been accused of using his guile to get writers for Harsh and KomalMen with clout let of easily?
Sources in the GSHSEB say the people accused in the writers’ scam have been let off with mild punishment. They say the principals of the aforesaid schools have wriggled out the controversy by simply agreeing to cuts in their annual increment. The sources also say that the trustees of Swastik High School and HB Kapadia School have not faced action for drafting in writers for Harsh and Komal. The transfer of Chavda, the sources say, is also an eyewash. “ He has been sent to Anand PTC college. This is hardly a punishment because he had been seeking a transfer since a long time,” they said.
Headway a headache for cops
To date, the police have not arrested a single person named by the education board in the scam. They are also yet to take any action against the three teachers who helped Harsh and Komal cheat on March 12, 2008. Sources in the police department say the probe into the scam has not progressed because the aforesaid schools and even the board have failed to provide necessary documents.
March 14, 2008: The then principal secretary (education), P Paneervel, catches Harsh and Komal feigning injuries
August, 2008: The GSHSEB reportedly gives a clean chit to Muktak Kapadia
September 29, 2008: The Gujarat HC serves notices on the education board in connection with the writers’ scam
April 29, 2008: The review panel of GSHSEB questions 15 people
May 8, 2008: The education board bars Harsh Kotak and Komal Patel from taking examinations till 2011
January, 2009: The Gujarat HC asks the education board to take action against accused schools and trustees
March, 2009: The chairman of GSHSEB writes to the police commissioner to seek details of the probe into the writers’ scam
