PUNE, March 19 -- Within 24 hours of the theft of two packets containing geography question papers of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam from a strong room in Sangola, police have identified the suspect as a minor, recovered the stolen material, and taken action against officials for negligence. Additional Superintendent of Police (Solapur Rural) Pritam Yawalkar said the suspect, a juvenile in conflict with the law, had been detained and had confessed to the crime. A case has been registered at Sangola police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices in University and Other Examinations Act, 1982. "Acting on confidential inputs and technical evidence, the accused was identified and detained. During questioning in the presence of his parents, he confessed. We have recovered the stolen Class 10 geography question papers along with three blank answer sheets," Yawalkar added. According to Yawalkar, the suspect is a 16-year-old Class 10 student who stole the question papers for personal thrill. "He did not circulate the question papers to anyone. He even appeared for the geography exam today, and so far, there is no evidence of the papers being shared," he said. Pune divisional officer Audumbar Ukirde said so far, three police personnel, the block development officer (BDO) and the examination centre head have been suspended. After the police submit a detailed report, those named would face appropriate action, he said. "The 16-year-old student, who appeared for the exam despite knowing the question paper content, will be debarred. Appropriate measures will be taken against all others involved," he added. Board officials did not comment on whether the stolen paper was from the set used during the exam; additional question paper sets are usually prepared as a backup, they said. Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) officials said the suspect was traced using CCTV footage from outside the school premises. Chairman Trigun Kulkarni said, "Our divisional officer reached Sangola immediately. Since the internal CCTV system was non-functional, we relied on external road cameras, which showed a boy carrying the question paper packets." Kulkarni emphasised that the examination process was unaffected. "The geography exam was conducted smoothly and on time. There was no paper leak, and everything proceeded as per schedule," he said....