CBI probes fudging of IIM-Kochi CAT results

 

Kochi: The Kochi unit of the CBI has taken over the investigation into the alleged tampering of results of the Common Admission Test, which was conducted by the Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode in October and November, 2012 for admissions to 13 IIMs and 150 other non-IIM top B-schools across the country.

 

The case under criminal conspiracy (IPC 120B), criminal breach of trust (IPC 409) and another case for altering computer source code under the Information Technology Act have been registered against a Lucknow-based company named Web Weavers. It was this firm that was assigned to publish the results of CAT exams on the IIM-K’s official website.

 

The IIM-K, which held the exam, had entrusted Prometric, a US-based MNC company, with the conduct and evaluation of tests. The results received by IIM-K were handed over to  Web Weavers, which manages CAT website www.catiim.in.

 

It is alleged that Web Weavers tampered with the results and increased the marks of 80 students. As many as 2.14 lakh candidates took the test held between October 11 and November 6, 2012 for 3,500-odd seats at the IIMs.

 

The case was earlier taken up by the Kunnamangalam police station after a complaint was filed by the Indian Institute of Management authorities.

 

It was in June last year the tampering was first detected. The convener of Cat later conducted a check  and found that the original data was altered. 

 

Aafaque Sheikh, a representative of Web Weavers at IIM-K, had gone absconding after the faults were detected. 

 

It was suspected that Web Weavers facilitated a career guidance company in Gurgaon by altering the results.