The Wamrong Police in Trashigang have detained a Tashitse High school student in connection with the recent missing answer script case. Police say the student allegedly took the answer sheets and burnt them. The suspect, a former class twelve science student, was arrested on 24th February.
It was learned that the suspect had entered the room where the papers were kept on the early morning of 2nd January when the caretaker had gone to his house after his night duty.
The suspect had entered the room through a window that had been left unlatched. The keys to the locker where the papers were kept were also left hanging on the door side. The suspect allegedly took four bundles of answer scripts and burnt them in a pit.
The case came to light after the Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment or BCSEA discovered that the answer scripts of 40 students were missing on 13th January during the paper evaluation.
The BCSEA filed a case with the police in Gelephu, following which authorities collected biometric data of all teachers at the evaluation camp. Investigations were also carried out by the police in Tashitse High School.
The investigation team faced difficulties to narrow down their findings as the suspect had also tried to destroy the ashes.
Meanwhile, the 40 affected students had to re-do the examinations for English II, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from the 19th to the 22nd of January.
The BHSEC examination was completed on 31 December last year. Since the next day was Sunday, the box containing the papers was kept in the examination cell under lock and key and was sent out to the evaluation camp only on Monday.
The case will now be forwarded to the Dungkhag court.
Devika Pradhan/Sonam Darjay
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen