Bihar class XII results row: Board chief quits, exam centre head detained

In a related development, Shail Kumari, who was superintendent of an examination centre where students of the controversial VR College had written their papers, has been detained.

A day after he was served a showcause notice to explain irregularities in evaluation in Bihar Board Class XII exams and his handling of the controversy over the toppers in the aftermath, Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad resigned Wednesday.

In a related development, Shail Kumari, who was superintendent of an examination centre where students of the controversial VR College had written their papers, has been detained.

CM Nitish Kumar was reportedly peeved at Prasad deciding on his own to set up a judicial panel to probe alleged bungling in the results without consulting the government. After the controversy over the results, the state Education Department and BSEB were at loggerheads. The Education Minister set up a three-member panel comprising the department’s officials, while BSEB formed a judicial commission to look into the issue. The CM overruled both decisions and set up an SIT.

Patna SSP Manu Maharaj said Shail’s name figured in the list of accused, which includes four toppers, three of them from VR College. In all, 12 accused face a case of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. BSEB has already cancelled the result of two toppers.

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Santosh Singh

Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More