Schools of scandal: ‘We left papers blank in exam hall, wrote at night’

Patna SSP Manu Maharaj, who heads the SIT probing the scam, said two students and the father of a science topper had earlier quoted the same amount — Rs 5 lakh — for a place among the top five performers in science, arts and commerce streams.

The arts topper from Vaishali, a minor girl who recently got bail, had said she only wanted a second division, but her father spoke to Bachcha Rai and got her to top the state. The BSEB has cancelled the results of three toppers.

Patna SP (Central) Chandan Kushwaha, who interrogated Rahul, said the youth had made some startling revelations. “We have come to know that if students were not available, his relatives or friends could also write answers,” said Kushwaha.

Rahul had reportedly revealed that Rai would call students at the VR College at Kiratpur late in the evening. There, students who had paid money were provided blank answer sheets with the answers, which they copied leisurely, Rahul is learnt to have told police.

Meanwhile, state Education Minister Ashok Kumar Choudhary said the government was waiting for the report of a statewide inspection launched by the state against non-functioning schools that were granted affiliation by the state board.