FIR against Pune college for conducting exam amid pandemic

An FIR has been registered against a college in Talegaon Dabhade of Pune district for conducting an examination for Class 11 students in violation of the norms imposed in wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Pimpri Chinchwad police reached the institution on Friday (June 12) when the examination was being held, and found 27 students taking the exam. A case has been registered against 14 members of the Snehwardhan Education Trust that runs the junior college, said police.

“We received information that Snehwardhan Trust Junior College was conducting an exam for Class 11 commerce students on Friday. Once confirmed, we immediately sent a team to the spot,” Amarnath Waghmode, a senior inspector from Talegaon Dabhade police station, told The Federal.

He said students were taking exams in three classrooms when the police and the Tehsildar reached the spot. Conducting such activities in violation of rules imposed by the government may pose risk to the health of the students, said Waghmode.

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The trustees have been booked under sections 188 (disobedience of government order) and 269 (negligent act that is likely to spread a disease) of the Indian Penal Code. Besides, the police have also booked them under section 51(B) of the Disaster Management Act and section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 for non-compliance of government orders.

Talegaon Dabhade is around 40 km from Pune city and currently has eight active cases of COVID-19.

Waghmode said that the students were checked if they had any symptoms of the infection, and then were asked to leave the school’s premises. “We may also ask the school to test the students for COVID-19 if the need arises,” he added.

The Federal’s attempts to reach out to the school did not elicit any response.