Bihar toppers scam: Rank holder in science stream arrested

Patna: The controversial third rank holder in science stream of the Intermediate Examination from Bishun Rai College in Bihar, has been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Patna police, which is probing the toppers scam in the state.

City Superintendent of Police Chandan Kushwaha, who is a member of the SIT, said Rahul Kumar was arrested yesterday from his uncle (Phupha) Durgesh Singh's house at Azampur village in connection with the toppers scam and sent to jail custody by a local court.

During interrogation it was revealed that a deal of Rs 5 lakh was struck to make him a rank-holder, Kushwaha said.

He was one of the four rank-holders of the college, who had been named in the FIR in the toppers scam. The other three rank holders are - Shalini Rai, Saurav Sresth and Ruby Rai.

Shalini Rai and Saurav Sresth have still not been arrested.

Ruby Rai, the controversial topper in the arts stream of the intermediate exam, was arrested by SIT on June 25 while she was coming out after a retest by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB).

The retest which was conducted to check her academic abilities after her comments during a TV interview, after she was declared the topper in Humanities stream this year, had led to the lid being taken off from the toppers scam in the state.

She had pronounced Political Science which was one of her subjects as "Prodikal science" which according to her taught cooking.

She was granted bail by a local court here on Monday.

Former BSEB chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh, his wife and ex-MLA Usha Sinha, Vishun Roy college secretary-cum principal Bachha Rai and over three dozen other persons have been arrested in the toppers scam.