Udupi : The Department of Public Instruction on Saturday said that it would be issuing notices to the Block Education Officer and Route Officer asking why two bundles of question papers of SSLC exams were found lying on the bonnet of the Block Education Officer’s four-wheeler at the Volakadu Government Composite High School here March 23.

The photograph of the bundle lying on the bonnet of the vehicle was carried in a section of the media on Saturday.

The matter had come to the notice of the department. The department had decided to issue notices to the Udupi Block Education Officer, Maleshappa, and the Route Officer, Lokeshappa, seeking an explanation from them in three days with proof.

Mr. Lokeshappa had told him orally that two bundles of SSLC question papers had been delivered at the Volakadu Government Composite High School and two more had to be delivered there. Hence, they were on the bonnet of the vehicle. The photograph was taken during that period. These bundles were later taken into the school. The vehicle was within the premises of the school and could go no further as there was the school ground in front of it, he said.

The driver of the BEO’s vehicle, a police staff and route officer were in the photograph near the two SSLC question paper bundles, Mr. Seshashayana said.

According to the rules, the SSLC question paper bundles are taken from the Taluk Treasury to the exam centre in a vehicle by the Route Officer and a police staff. The question paper bundles are handed over by the Route Officer to the exam centre chief and Paper Custodian at the exam centre in a room equipped with CCTV camera.

Then, the Route Officer has to take a report from the exam centre chief that the question paper bundles had been handed over in good condition, which is also signed by the Paper Custodian, Mr. Seshashayana said.