Merit list scam: Ex-Bihar Board chief Lalkeshwar Prasad and his wife arrested

Patna: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday arrested Bihar School Examination Board’s former chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh and his wife Usha Sinha from Varanasi, in connection with Class 12 toppers’ scam, police said. Patna senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj, who is heading the SIT, confirmed the arrests. “Both will be brought to Patna on Monday itself and police will interrogate them,” Maharaj said. [caption id=“attachment_2844554” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Last week, the Patna civil court issued the arrest warrant against Singh, who is a key accused in the case and has gone underground after resigning from the board. According to police, Singh was on the run since after his name figured in the Class 12 toppers’ scam. Singh’s wife Usha Sinha, former Janata Dal-United (JDU) legislator of Bihar, was also missing since her name also surfaced in the scam. So far 10 persons have been arrested in the case, police said. Amit Kumar alias Bachcha Rai, the mastermind behind the Class 12 Board merit list scam in Bihar, was arrested ten days ago after he surrendered to police. Both Singh and Rai were wanted by the SIT in the ongoing investigation into the alleged irregularities in the results of the toppers in the Class 12 Arts and Science examinations this year. According to reports, the SIT has found evidences that suggest Singh’s role in the racket. Evidence collected also indicates the board’s complicity in the scam.