AIBE-XVII: BCI sets up committee to probe allegations that candidates were enticed to cheat by supply of answers via WhatsApp

The General Council of the Bar Council of India (BCI) has set up a fact finding Committee to examine allegations that some advocates had leaked wrong answers to mislead and entice candidates to cheat for the All India Bar Exam (AIBE XVII), which took place last Sunday. .The move comes in the wake of certain reports published in regional newspapers in Gujarat. As per the reports, a few advocates, including one advocate Jignesh Joshi, had supplied answers to for the exam via WhatsApp in an attempt to entice candidates appearing for the AIBE at Rajkot to cheat, the BCI noted. .A press release issued by the BCI adds that it does not appear that the answer sheet for the exam was leaked since 21 of the 28 answers allegedly supplied via WhatsApp to the candidates were incorrect. "However, prima facie it is established that Advocate Mr. Jignesh Joshi with his companions had tried to mislead some of the appearing young Advocates under the false pretext of supplying them the answers on their WhatsApp Group through mobile. This had been done by Advocate Mr. Jignesh Joshi in order to serve his self interest in an attempt to procure their votes in the elections of Bar Association", the BCI said. .As such, a three member Committee has been tasked to look into the matter by the BCI. The Committee will be headed by Justice J Upadhyay, a former judge of the Gujarat High Court. BCI member, Jayant D Jaibhave, and Prof (Dr) S Shanthakumar, Director of the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar are the other members of the Committee. .In view of the grave implications of allegations that mobile phones were used in the exam hall, the BCI has also intimated that the Committee would examine CCTV footage to find out which persons were involved in such malpractices. .Appropriate disciplinary and other legal action would be taken against those found guilty, the BCI has added. .The Committee has been asked to submit its report to the BCI Chairman within 7 days' time. .The seventeenth edition of the All India Bar Examination (AIBE XVII) was held on February 5 across 53 cities and 261 centers, with technology enabled monitoring and confidentiality processes to ensure fair exam practices and no impersonation..As per the BCI, 1,73,586 advocates had registered for the exam, while 1,71,402 (98%) candidates appeared. This is almost twice the number of candidates who had appeared for the previous AIBE, as per a press release issued last Sunday. "A total of 9,254-Invigilators, 261 Center Superintendents, 261 Assistant Centre Superintendents, 261 Centre-in-Charge, 1,846, Exam Coordinators, 53 District Managers, 10 Divisional Heads, 5 Agency Heads, 183 vehicles, and 130 route managers and a total of 12,447 plus other man power was deployed for the exam", the BCI had further disclosed. Among measures to ensure the exam's fair conduct were CCTV monitoring of the exam and verification of attendance via biometric mode. CCTV footage of the exam's conduct was telecasted live to a command centre set up by the BCI, the press release had stated. .[Read Press Release here]