Exam arson: Eight students detained, probe ordered
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 26 2023: Police have reportedly detained eight students, who reportedly incited violence and destroyed school properties on Saturday in protest against prohibition on use of unfair means or disallowing their request for additional time during the Class XII examination conducted by Council of Higher Secondary Education (CoHSEM).

According to a police report, some students who were assigned at the examination centre for writing Class XII examination at ACME Higher Secondary School, Yairipok started making a ruckus around 1 pm Saturday, after they were disallowed from using unfair means.

The students were appearing for the MIL paper.

The students proceeded to destroy the properties of the school and also pelted stones at the school.

Other students were frightened by the violence and fled the classrooms, thereby bringing the examination at the centre to a halt immediately.

On receiving news of the incident, teams of Yairipok police station rushed to the scene and took the situation under control.

Yairipok PS then registered an FIR under different sections of 1PC and launched investigation.

During the investigation, 8 students, suspected to be the main perpetrators of the violence were rounded up.

All 8 are students of Azad Higher Secondary School and were assigned ACME Higher Secondary School as their exam centre.

Meanwhile, the government ordered an inquiry leading unconsciousness of 15 students and a female invigilator due to the vandalization by some irate students inside the examination hall.

Education Minister Th Basantakumar on Sunday told newsmen that the inquiry report would be submitted to the authority concerned by Monday.

XII class standard examinations 2023 conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (COHSEM) which started on February 23 would be postponed for a day or two for a section of students at this centre, the minister said.

The minister has taken prompt action following six student organisations including the Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF), Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Kangleipak Students' Association (KSA), Students' Union of Kangleipak (SUK), Apunba Imagi Machasing (AIMS) and another appealing to the government to identify the misbehaving students and take up exemplary actions against them.

Private School Development Committee, Thoubal lodged a complaint to Thoubal police station to take up prompt actions against derelict students responsible for vandalising properties of the ACME Higher Secondary School at Yairipok, Thoubal district.

In spite of enforcement of the 144 CrPC in and around the examination centre, the angry students destroyed a computer set in the Principal's room of the school, desks, benches, and other valuables.

At first, they start ed pelting stones following the school authority's failure to fulfil their demand for an additional five-minute time on Saturday's examination.

A total of 409 students of Azad Higher Secondary School, Yairipok Tulihal are appearing for the exam at the ACME school.

COHSEM secretary Ch Biren inspected the school after the incident and decided to resume examination under strict security arrangements.

A total of 36,717 students are appearing for the Class XII examination which scheduled to continue till April 1 in 120 centres.

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