LU Asst Prof denies paper leak, says only offered ‘question bank’ queries

Lucknow: The arrested LU assistant professor, accused in the alleged paper leak and harassment case involving a BSc student, has claimed that he never leaked any examination paper and had only offered to provide the student with “important questions” from the question bank.

A senior police officer associated with the probe said the police are now in the final stages of preparing the chargesheet, which is likely to be filed before the court soon.

“The accused has claimed that he was only trying to help the student by sharing important questions from the question bank and denied leaking any paper. During investigation, no physical question paper or leaked document has been recovered from him till now,” the officer said.

Police said the accused, who was sent to judicial custody and lodged in Lucknow district jail, maintained in his statement that he did not possess or circulate any actual question paper.

However, another officer added that the assistant professor’s confession that he was only giving questions from the bank is sufficient under the sections of 11 and 13(5) of the Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, for filing of the charge sheet.

The accused was arrested under section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to outraging the modesty of a woman, along with sections 11 and 13(5) of the Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

Police had also seized his laptop and mobile phone and sent them for forensic examination to verify digital chats, call records, alleged audio clips and other electronic evidence.

Investigators are also expected to seek court permission to obtain the accused’s voice samples for matching with purported audio recordings that surfaced during the inquiry.

Meanwhile, the student’s statement before a magistrate is yet to be recorded as she had reportedly sought additional time citing health-related concerns and uneasiness, police said.