IANS By

More than 200 students have been caught cheating in the Class 12 board exam and expelled in the last three days. Nearly a dozen parents who helped them use unfair means were arrested, an official said Tuesday.



Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman Rajmani Prasad said that the students were expelled after they were caught cheating during the exam.



"The board has instructed officials concerned to take action for free and fair exam," he said.



An official said that nearly 50 students were expelled last Saturday, the first day of exam.



As many as 159 students were expelled Monday and nearly half a dozen were expelled Tuesday.



The intermediate (Class 12th) exam began at 882 centres amid tight security and indefinite strike by non-teaching employees of colleges in the state.



"The students were expelled on charges of adopting unfair means and a dozen parents or guardians were arrested for abetment," the official said.



According to reports reaching here, even teachers deployed at exam centres and policemen were seen helping the students to cheat.



This year 981,778 students, including an all time high of 410,662 girl students, across Bihar appeared for the Class 12th exams, board officials said.



The BSEB, which conducts the examinations, said it has made elaborate arrangements for peaceful and fair exams.



But there were reports of widespread cheating from Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Patna, Jehanabad and Bhagalpur.