After being on the run for almost two weeks, main accused in the fake toppers scam, Mr Lalkeshwar Singh and his former MLA wife Ms Usha Sinha, were arrested from Varanasi on Monday by a Special Investigation Team.
Mr Singh had gone into hiding after his resignation on June 8 and his wife and former JD(U) MLA Usha Sinha was untraceable after her role in the scam was established during investigation.
The two were arrested from a house in Bhelupur locality after the SIT received a tip-off about the couple’s presence in Varanasi.
Ms Sinha, who was the principal of Ganga Devi College, was removed from the post Tuesday by the authorities.
Patna SSP Manu Maharaj said, “They have been arrested and we will begin interrogation as soon as after they are brought back to Patna.”
The police now hopes to tie several loose ends that may help them solve the toppers scam case which had rocked Bihar last month. Mr Maharaj, who also heads the SIT, added, “A separate interrogation team will be constituted to question all those who have been arrested.”
Mr Amit Kumar, alias Bachcha Rai, the mastermind behind the Class 12 Board merit list scam in Bihar and director of Vishun Rai College, was arrested 10 days ago in Vaishali after he surrendered to the police.
Police sources said, “All three are likely to be questioned jointly after Singh and his wife are brought back to Patna.”
Last Wednesday the Patna Civil Court had issued an arrest warrant for Mr Singh and Ms Sinha. Mr Maharaj said, “Prime facie there are evidences against the former BSEB chairman which show that he had knowledge that answer sheets and evaluation were being tampered with”.
The education mafia scam came to light when video clips of two toppers, Ruby Rai and Saurabh Shrestha, showed them struggling to answer very basic questions, putting the entire education system of the state in the dock. The incident had created a nationwide uproar forcing the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar to act against those at the top, including Mr Lalkeshwar Singh, Mr Vishun Rai and Mr Bachcha Rai, who was also considered close to RJD chief Mr Lalu Yadav.
The police also imposed the Arms Act against Mr Bachcha Rai after recovering a pistol and live cartridges from his college office on Sunday.
“Not just BSEB, the crackdown will continue against all those who take the law into their own hands,” said education minister Ashok Chaudhary on Monday.
