Uma's name again crops up in contract teachers scam

BHOPAL: Union minister for water resources Uma Bharati's name has again cropped up in contract teachers appointment exam conducted by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) for recommending candidates. According to statements of two prime accused, mentioned in an FIR registered by state's Special Task Force (STF) few names recommended by Bharati were passed on to board's officials by the then higher education minister Laxmikant Sharma.
Exams for contractual teachers recruitment was conducted by MPPEB in 2011 and the scam came to light in 2013.
FIR dated December 9, 2013 for crime number 20/13, (a copy of which is with TOI) states key accused and principal analyst of MPPEB Nitin Mohindra said Pankaj Trivedi, former controller of exams of MPPEB and also a key accused in several recruitment scams, gave him the list of names given by Uma Bharati and others who were to be recruited. Trivedi also told interrogators names suggested by Uma Bharati and seven others were given to him by Laxmikant Sharma and he was asked to ensure that these candidates pass the contractual teachers grade II examinations in year 2011.
Copy of FIR has been submitted in court along with other documents pertaining to contractual teachers grade II recruitment scam of MPPEB and case is under trial.
STF has made 43 people, including former minister Laxmikant Sharma and former officer on special duty to governor, Dhanraj Yadav, accused in the FIR number 7011 of December 9, 2013.
As per FIR, Mohindra told investigators that in a bid to favour influential people, who recommended candidates, he did not take any money. Instead, Mohindra, said the influential people could have taken money from these candidates.
In two separate FIRs more than 139 people, including former minister Laxmikant Shukla, ex OSD to governor, Dhanraj Yadav, officials of MPPEB, Dr Pankaj Trivedi, Nitin Mohindra, Ajay Sen, OSD to minister Laxmikant Sharma, OP Shukla and others have been booked for contractual teachers grade I & II recruitment scam.