Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh and his wife, the key accused in the case, had gone underground. (File photo)
Bihar School Examination Board chairman Lalkeswar Prasad and his wife, former Janata Dal (United) legislator Usha Sinha, who were arrested in the Bihar School Examination scam have been remanded in Judicial custody.
The two were said to the masterminds of the scam along with Bacha Rai, under which a group of toppers in the Class 12 Board exams have been charged. Bacha Rai has already been arrested and is in jail. Mr Prasad and his wife have been remanded in judicial custody till July 4.
Earlier today, the couple was brought to Patna from Varanasi and produced at the residence of Chief Judicial Magistrate.
The crackdown started earlier this month after chief minister Nitish Kumar dissolved an education board committee formed to probe the scam and ordered direct action against the "education mafia".
On June 4, the state education board formed the committee, cancelling the results of two toppers after they were failed to perform well during a re-test conducted by a team of experts. Altogether 13 toppers were tested after arts topper Ruby Rai, who practically aced political Science, told the media that the subject involved cooking.
A few other toppers also gave answers that raised suspicion about their grasp over their subjects. With Bihar being notorious for cheating during exams, the media reports had raised a hue and cry, pushing the authorities to take action.
A case of cheating and forgery was lodged by the police against three of the toppers, as well as Bacha Rai, director of the VR College in Vaishali district - the institution to which all three students belonged.