Patna: Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) secretary Anup Kumar Sinha deposed before special vigilance judge Madhukar Kumar in the 2016 Intermediate result scam on Wednesday, the first day of trial.

Sinha was the first prosecution witness.

Special vigilance junior public prosecutor Anandi Singh told The Telegraph that Sinha had granted permission to prosecute against nine accused, including Amit Kumar, alias Bachcha Rai, former principal of Vishun Roy College in Vaishali. The Patna High Court had directed the trial court to conduct the proceedings on daily basis.

Kotwali police lodged an FIR on June 6, 2016, after which the Patna police formed the special investigation team.

A total of 38 persons, including former BSEB chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh, his wife Usha Sinha, also former principal of Ganga Devi Mahila College, and former BSEB secretary Harihar Nath Jha are facing charges. Lalkeshwar, Bachcha, Jha and two more accused are in jail, while the rest are out on bail.

Special vigilance public prosecutor Vijay Kumar Sinha said all the accused had deliberately conspired to make undeserving candidates toppers and exchanged their copies in return of money.

The maximum punishment, he said, that can be awarded is life imprisonment.