Faisal Feroz. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Faisal Feroz spent seven years not knowing whether he had passed or failed Madhyamik, nearly a fortnight behind bars wondering whether it was a crime to ask for his exam result and the past five days ruing the fact that he went through so much trouble for a marksheet of no value.

Faisal’s troubles began when he went to Kumar Asutosh Institution (Main), in Dum Dum, on May 6 to collect his 2001 Madhyamik marksheet. Going by his unkempt looks and slightly brusque manners, the school authorities refused to accept that he had ever taken the exam and informed police.

A team from Sinthee police station arrested him the same day on the charge of forging his admit card and Madhyamik registration.

Faisal was in police custody for four days and nine days in Presidency jail before the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education certified that he did sit for the exam as an external candidate from Belgachhia Manohar Academy. His examination centre was Kumar Asutosh Institution (Main), where he mistakenly went for his marksheet.

“I tried to convince the headmaster of the school, K. Manna, that I wasn’t lying but he did not listen to me. He said my admit card and registration certificate were forged and that I never sat for the exam,” Faisal told Metro.

Based on the board’s written clarification, a city court granted the youth bail on May 18. Belgachhia Manohar Academy gave him the marksheet that brought him so much distress six days later. One look at the contents — the word “Unsuccessful” in bold at the bottom right-hand corner and the figure “125” in the grand total box — and Faisal knew he was better off without it.

On what prompted him to go looking for the marksheet, the Topsia resident said some friends advised him to enrol for a correspondence course to improve his job prospects.