Ex-chairman of Bihar Education Board absconding as SIT probes toppers scam

Patna: Former Bihar School Examination Board Chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh was still absconding even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) conducted raids searching for him, police said on Thursday. Singh is being probed for his alleged involvement in the 12th Board merit list scam. According to police, evidences gathered so far indicated that Singh was involved in the scam in which the answer books of certain examinees were tampered with to increase their score and push them up in the merit list. Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj, who is heading the SIT, said raids are being conducted in search of Singh. [caption id=“attachment_2825770” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bihar’s “toppers” Rubi Rai and Saurabh Sreshtha . News18[/caption] FIR was lodged in the case after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday intervened and directed the police to probe the matter as a criminal case. Maharaj said that Singh along with director-cum-principal of VR College in Vaishali have been made accused in the case. Till date five accused have been arrested by the SIT, he said. More arrests would be made in this case soon, Maharaj added. According to the FIR, fraud was committed by VR College authorities to influence the results. “The answer books of the toppers appeared to have been changed which makes it a case of fraud,” it stated. Those named in the FIR include Science stream toppers Saurabh Sreshtha, Shalini Rai and Rahul Kumar, Arts topper Rubi Rai and VR College Principal. All the toppers were students of the same college.