Two more arrested in Bihar merit list case

Two more persons, who were "working" for absconding former Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh, were today arrested here in connection with state intermediate examination scandal while the ex-BSEB chief's wife has been made a 'non-FIR' accused.
The arrested persons are -- Ajit Shaktiman, an ad hoc lecturer with Patna College and Sandeep Kumar Jha, a teacher with Sanskrit Shiksha Board on a deputation from Sanskrit College, Bhagalpur, Senior Superintendent of Police, Manu Maharaj told reporters here.
With today's arrest, the total number of persons held have gone upto eight including the alleged kingpin of the toppers' scandal, Bachha Rai, who was yesterday arrested after he surrendered at Bhagwanpur police station in Vaishali district.

Both (Ajit and Sandeep) of them were "working as agents" for Lalkeshwar Singh and were in constant touch with Singh's wife and a former JD(U) MLA Usha Sinha, the SSP said, adding, his wife's involvement in the scandal has also come to the fore during thr investigation.
Ajit and Sandeep have confessed to their crime while Usha Sinha is absconding, he said.
They used to manage centres besides changing copies and helping people in providing marks, said Maharaj, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on merit muddle in Bihar Intermediate Examination.

On June 9, the SIT had arrested five persons in the

toppers muddle that included two Centre Superintendents of two centres where examinees sat and where copies were evaluated.
Besides, arts and science toppers, the third-ranker in the science stream Rahul Kumar, whose result has been cancelled by the BSEB along with that of first topper Saurabh Shrestha after a re-test, also hailed from the Bishun Rai College.
Arts intermediate topper Ruby Rai did not turn up before an experts team for re-test yesterday following which the Board has decided to withhold her result.
"The Board has decided to withhold result of Ruby Rai and has given another chance to her to appear for re-test on June 25," new chairman of Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Anand Kishor had said.