Crime: An official of the curriculum research and development department who was convicted for leaking the 2014 class XII English II question paper, is suspected to have leaked other papers in the past.

The Paro dzongkhag court while handing down the verdict earlier this week stated that a forensic investigation on the official’s laptop showed copies of question papers from 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2013.

The official, Kuenga Dorji, was assigned to      the papers into braille for  visually impaired students.

While the conditions of the conversion strictly forbid taking any private instruments such as thumb drives during the activity, forensic investigating officers found the question papers in the hard disk of his laptop.

The Paro court sentenced Kuenga Dorji to two years in prison for leaking the papers, which constitutes an official misconduct. He can pay Nu 90,000 in lieu of the imprisonment.

“The leak has caused unlimited stress and problems to parents of students and huge financial loss to the government,” the court verdict stated.

The court asked him to compensate the government Nu 1.401 million for the losses incurred as a result of his leaking the paper, within six months from the date of the day of the judgment.

The Bhutan Council for School Examination and Assessment (BCSEA) recalled 46 teachers for 12 days to reassess the answer sheets of the leaked paper. The council paid the amount as travel and daily sustenance allowance to the teachers.

“Should he fail to pay the compensation within the given period, he shall be imprisoned until he pays the amount,” the judgment stated.

Kuenga Dorji had given question papers for English I and II, Dzongkha I and II, and Economics to Dawa Dolma, a class XII student of Yoezerling Higher Secondary School in Paro. The investigation found that only the English II question paper had spread widely through six other students.

The leak was detected only when a Drugyel Higher Secondary School student who received the questions the night before the exam reported it to the school authority. The school then informed BCSEA, which conducted an immediate investigation and confirmed the leak.

The results of the students involved were cancelled.

Tshering Palden