• Agency’s cyber crime cell issues call-up notices to several students
• States it is not “practically possible” for anyone to obtain 97pc marks and above

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned various candidates who obtained over 90 per cent marks in the Sept 22 Medical and Dental College Admissions Test (MDCAT) and planned to conduct their ‘mock exam’ as part of its investigation into paper leak.

Acting on court orders, the Sindh government had on Oct 10 formed a six-member inquiry committee to probe into anomalies in the MDCAT by fixing criminal and civil liabilities; to look into various issues related to paper leakage including its timings by forensic investigation; to analyse marks obtained with specific reference to lopsided results viz-viz candidates’ previous academic results and/or by any specific area, etc.

On Oct 26, the Sindh High Court had ordered retake of MDCAT within a month in the province after the inquiry committee concluded that the entire test procedure was compromised.

The SHC had also ordered that the FIA inquiry must be completed within two months.

On Tuesday, officials said that FIA’s Cyber Crime Circle, Karachi issued call-up notices to several students asking them to appear before inquiry officers to answer their questions.

Dawn reviewed two such notices issued to as many female students by Inspector Arfa Saeed of the FIA in which she stated that she had been conducting a probe into leaked MDCAT paper that “damaged the career of meritorious students of Sindh”.

One of the notices addressed to a female student stated that during the course of inquiry, it came to surface that she obtained “194/200 marks or 97pc” in MDCAT 2024.

“Practically, it is not possible for any student to obtain such a highest marks,” the inquiry officer said and alleged that it appeared that the student was “involved in leakage of MDCAT-2024” and therefore, “required to appear at FIA Cyber Crime Circle” in Karachi on Nov 1.

The inquiry officer summoned the student and asked her to bring her original computerised national identity card “to answer such questions as may be put to you or your mock exam maybe conducted in this office to examine the actual position”.

“A failure to comply with this legal notice may entail that you have nothing to say in your defence and legal action based on available evidence on record shall be initiated against you,” warned the FIA notice.

The officials said that the wording of the notices sent to dozens of students was identical and all of them were asked to appear before the FIA on different dates to give a “mock exam” and to record their statements under Section 160 of the criminal procedure code.

It may be noted that one of the points of the inquiry report submitted before the SHC stated that the distribution of marks obtained by candidates across Sindh districts exhibited an asymmetrical/lopsided pattern.

“A notably smaller percentage of students from Karachi (1.18 per cent) and Hyderabad (1.47pc) scored 187 or higher marks, while a significantly larger percentage of students from Tharparkar (7.92pc) and Sujawal (7.32pc) achieved the same score threshold. This disparity, where students from certain rural districts outperform those from highly urbanised areas in the MDCAT test, is difficult to explain.”

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2024