Seat-blocking scam: KEA to seek further probe as 80% students claim innocence

Authorities feel explanation of students genuine

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has decided to seek a high-level probe into the alleged blocking of engineering seats after 80% of the students who received show-cause notices responded that they were not aware of any mischief.

The exam authorities said a majority of these students claimed they did not even participate in the KCET seat-allocation process and got admission through JEE, COMEDK and other qualifying examinations by private institutions.

The KEA had issued notices to over 2,300 students in connection with the alleged seat-blocking scam. After many of these email notices bounced, the authorities sent the notices to the postal addresses furnished by the students at the time of KCET registration.

The KEA officials felt the information provided by the students and their parents were genuine. "Of course, we did not trust them at once. We cross-examined the students to understand their reasoning and realised that many were genuine," said KEA Executive Director H Prasanna. 

According to the officials, the students and their parents claimed they had registered for KCET counselling but did not participate in the seat allotment. "They were not aware of any misuse of their phone number, login ID-password and other credentials," Prasanna said.

One of the students who received the KEA notice told DH that his KCET registration was done through a college helpdesk. "As soon as the registration process started, I registered for KCET. It was done by the college through a help desk, and I have no idea which phone number they gave. As I got admission through JEE in an IIT, I did not bother about the KCET allotment. After receiving the notice, I went to the KEA with my parents to give a reply in writing."

After verifying the replies from students, the KEA now suspects the involvement of colleges, integrated tuition centres and touts in the alleged scam. The authorities have decided to write to the state government demanding a high-level probe.

Prasanna said he would submit a report to the government in a day or two, and opined that assistance from cyber police was necessary to crack down on the alleged scam.

This year as many as 2,300 engineering seats were handed over to  private managements, including some at top colleges and in most sought-after streams, which led to the suspicion of a seat-blocking scam. 

The KEA had also found that several students used the same IP address to select seats and the mobile numbers they provided were either bogus or wrong.