REET 2021: Rajsthan Police nabs prime accused in paper leak case

The Special Operations Group (SOG) team of Rajasthan Police arrested the alleged mastermind behind the REET 2021 paper leak case.

Representational Image (Credits: PTI)

New Delhi: Rajasthan Police on Sunday (October 10, 2021) arrested the alleged mastermind behind the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers 2021 (REET) paper leak case. The main accused, Batti Lal Meena, was arrested in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath along with another person, police said.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) team of Rajsthan Police said that the persons were being tracked for the last three days.

The development comes after the Rajasthan government, last month, suspended a RAS and two RPS officers, along with 13 teachers, education department employees and three police personnel suspecting their involvement in cheating in REET 2021.

Reacting to the recent development of Batti Lal Meena’s arrest, BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena alleged that the police are just using him as a pawn and the SOG did not have the courage to arrest those who organised and monitored the examination.

"The SOG has arrested Batti Lal, but he is just a pawn in the REET paper leak case. Masterminds are those who are at the helm of organising and monitoring examinations. The SOG doesn't have the courage to lay hands on them. So, without a CBI inquiry, neither will the truth come out nor will the culprits be arrested," he said in a statement.

Earlier, the state police had arrested five persons for allegedly selling Bluetooth device fitted `chappals` worth Rs 6 lakh to candidates appearing in the exam held to select government school teachers in the state, officials said.

The Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) cheating incident came to light when aspirant, Ganesh Ram Dhaka (28), who had arrived at the Acharya Shri Dharam Sagar Digambar Jain Secondary Medium School Centre in Ajmer for the REET was found wearing a Bluetooth-equipped chappal.

As per the police, the officials found a wireless earphone in Dhaka`s ear. When questioned, he had confessed to the mobile phone and Bluetooth device hidden inside his footwear. Dhaka confessed that he had purchased the pair of footwear from one Tuljaram Jat in Bikaner for Rs 2.50 lakh.

Ahead of the highly competitive REET, the Rajasthan government had suspended internet and mobile services in Ajmer, Alwar, Dausa, Jhunjhunu and Jaipur rural districts from 6 am to 6 pm on September 26 in a bid to prevent cheating.

(With Agency inputs)