ED makes third arrest in Rajasthan teachers’ recruitment exam paper leak case
The accused, Raju Ram Iram, allegedly gave the leaked paper to his accomplices for distribution among the candidates
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has arrested a man under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) question paper leak case of 2021. The accused, Raju Ram Iram, allegedly gave the leaked paper to his accomplices for distribution among the candidates.
Mr. Iram was produced in the PMLA Special Court here on Friday and was sent to the ED’s custody for three days. This is the third arrest made by the ED during its money laundering probe into the REET paper leak. The Central agency had earlier arrested a retired assistant professor, Pradeep Parashar, and his assistant Ram Kripal Meena in the case.
The leak of question paper of the State’s biggest examination for recruitment of teachers to the government schools in September 2021, in which over 16 lakh candidates had appeared, had created a flutter in Rajasthan, after which the then Congress government had cancelled the exam. The State government handed over investigation to the Special Operations Group, which confirmed that the paper was leaked from the Education Department’s building, Shiksha Sankul, in Jaipur two days before the exam.
An ED spokesperson said here on Saturday that Mr. Iram, who received the leaked paper from other accused involved in the crime, gave it to his associates and took their help to make arrangements in Jodhpur to “show and read” the paper to various candidates in lieu of a huge amount of money.
The ED launched investigation in the matter on the basis of first information reports and charge-sheets filed by the Rajasthan police under various sections of Indian Penal Code against Mr. Iram and other related persons. The agency conducted search operations at a total of 32 premises of accused persons in 2023, resulting in the recovery of incriminating documents and digital records as well as seizure of huge cash.
The ED has filed a prosecution complaint in the PMLA Special Court against Ram Kripal Meena, on which the court has taken cognisance. The REET level I and level II examinations were conducted by the Rajasthan State Board of Secondary Education. Following the question paper leak, the State government also dismissed the Board’s chairman, D.P. Jaroli, and secretary A.K. Sengwa in September 2021.
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