Dummy writers: Ex-top official surrenders

Sources in Crime Branch said Chavda appeared before senior police officer in Crime Branch office along with a family member on Monday morning.

ACP Mayur Chavda said,“Chavda surrendered before us. We have registered a case against him. We will take him to the court tomorrow (Tuesday) to seek his remand. We have not questioned him properly so far.”

H N Chavda has been on the run after the Crime Branch started investigating the case.

“There was pressure on Chavda’s job and hence he presented himself during the Gunotsav. He went there for a few minutes and left immediately after registering his presence,” the ACP said.

H N Chavda was the secretary of the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board when the dummy writers scam took place. During the Class XII board exams in March 2008,science students Komal Patel and Harsh Kotak had faked fractures and produced medical certificates while their fathers reportedly hired dummy writers to write their examination papers.

The Crime Branch had earlier arrested prominent builders Pravin Kotak (father of Komal) and Sanjay Patel (father of Harsh) in this case.

The other accused,Bhagwatisinh Rajwat (tuition teacher of the students) and Bhadresh Shah,were also arrested in the case but later released on bail.

H N Chavda’s name cropped up in the scam after Rajwat told the police during questioning that the then secretary of GSHSEB helped him get inside the exam centre to aid dummy writers for Komal and Harsh in writing their papers.