Saturday, Jun 19, 2010

• Marks of some students said to have been altered
• Police register FIR based on a complaint filed by university

Mangalore: Mangalore University has written to the State Government that a lecturer at the Government First Grade College in Car Street here has been found guilty of manipulating marks of some students who appeared for the LLB examinations in October-November 2008. It has sought disciplinary action against the teacher Stephen Quadros.

The marks of nearly 60 students were altered upwards or downwards in a scandal that surfaced in May 2009. Some students who did not attend the examinations were given marks. Meanwhile, the Konaje police recently registered a case against Mr. Quadros after the university filed a complaint. The teacher has been booked under Sections 468 and 477 (A) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 74 of the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000. Section 468 refers to forgery for the purpose of cheating and Section 477 (A) deals with falsification of accounts. Section 74 of the Universities Act deals with the obligation to perform examination work. According to the first information report registered by the police, Mr. Quadros, who was the coordinator for tabulation work, has violated examination rules and did not carry out the responsibilities entrusted to him. He included the name of Ajith D'Souza, a lecturer at the Alva's B.Ed. College, Moodbidri, in the tabulation roster, produced fake documents to show that Mr. D'Souza had been assigned with the tabulation work, and forged his signature too.

The FIR said that Mr. Quadros had prepared a fake list of marks of LLB students with the intention of cheating. The FIR at the Konaje police station has been registered on the basis of a complaint filed by P.S. Yadapadithaya, Registrar (Evaluation) of the university. The Konaje police told The Hindu that Mr. Quadros had obtained anticipatory bail.

K. Chinnappa Gowda, Registrar (Administration), has written twice to the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, seeking disciplinary action against the teacher as he is a permanent teacher. The first letter was sent on May 5, followed by a reminder on June 3. It said that an inquiry committee set up by the university had found Mr. Quadros guilty in the case. The Syndicate of the university had decided to initiate legal action against the accused.