The special investigating team (SIT) probing the intermediate result scam has shot off a reminder to Vaishali district magistrate Rachana Patil asking her to explain her position in connection with the scandal.
Patil, a 2010 batch IAS officer, allegedly didn't respond to a letter of the SIT which was sent to her on August 11. In the reminder, police said, the DM has been requested to reply to the SIT's questions pertaining to the change of the examination centre of Vishun Roy College, the epicentre of the scam, within a day. Also, the police added, Janardhan Agarwal, the district public relations officer of Aurangabad, had gone into hiding and he has been made a co-accused in the answer sheet scam pegged at Rs 8.5 crore.
"The officer (Patil) had been sent a letter around 12 days ago in which she had been asked a few questions related to the intermediate topper scandal. The officer had been asked to explain her position and make things clear. However, she has not responded to the same and the SIT has now sent her a reminder and asked her to reply within 24 hours. If she doesn't respond, a team will visit Vaishali and question her. At this moment, nothing more in this connection can be said," Patna superintendent of police (central) Chandan Khuswaha said.
Patil denied receiving any letter from the SIT. "I have not received any letter from the police until now. If the letter comes through, there will be a response," she said.
Khuswaha, when told about the DM's response, said: "We have a receipt of the letter we sent to the DM's office dated August 11. But if at all the official has not received it, we have sent her another copy of the letter along with the reminder today." The result scam, which has until now netted at least 23 people, originated from the now closed Vishun Roy College in Vaishali owned by alleged kingpin Bachcha Rai. The four "toppers" against whom the police have lodged FIRs were students of the college.
"During the course of investigation, the SIT found a lot of anomalies. The examination centre of Vishun Roy College had been suddenly changed from a Bhabhua college to G.A Inter School Vaishali. Shail Kumari, the principal of this college, is already behind bars as she has been found to have helped Bachcha Rai in his misdeeds. The SIT believes that the change of the examination centre was not possible without the knowledge of the DM and the official needs to explain this point. She needs to explain under what circumstances the examination centre was changed and whether proper rules and regulations were followed or not. Also, it needs to be explained why the examination centre was fixed at the G.A Inter School only. It has been alleged by Shail Kumari that she had complained to the DM regarding the irregularities - no CCTV cameras, sudden change of invigilators etc - at the centre. A clarification with proof needs to come from the DM on why she didn't act if she got these complaints. Shail Kumari, after the examinations, had even been given a certificate of excellence by the DM. She was lauded for her efforts at conducting 'good and fair' exams at the centre. Once the DM answers these queries, it will strengthen the case," a police officer involved in the investigations said under cover of anonymity.
The police today got on three-day remand former Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh, former board secretary Harihar Nath Jha and two others in connection with the answer sheet scam.
"During the investigations, the police stumbled onto another scam in which false tenders had been awarded to a Gujarat-based firm and blank answer sheets worth Rs 8.5 crore were ordered. Last week, the SIT had arrested HAM(S) Aurangabad district president Ajay Kumar Singh along with two officials of BSEB and Magadh University in this connection. At least four quintals of blank answer sheets were recovered from the residence of Singh. While stating that the Aurangabad district public relations officer had asked him to keep the answer sheets, Singh had said they intended to sell these as scrap. The DPRO is absconding and has been made a co-accused in the case. The police will pray for a warrant against him," SP Kushwaha said.
