Arrested Bihar arts topper also fudged Class 10 documents

The arrested topper of the Class 12 board or intermediate examination conducted by the state-run Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) seems to be a habitual offender and succeeded in fooling officials while registering for Class 10 exams as well, sources said on Saturday.

Ganesh Kumar was arrested and his result cancelled after allegations of fraud over his age on Friday, the latest controversy to hit the beleaguered state education board that has been battling charges of mass irregularities and cheating for the third straight year.

He hit the headlines after he scored 82.6% but could not answer basic questions about his subjects.

BSEB sources said Kumar first appeared in Class 10 or matriculation examination in 1990 under the name of Ganesh Ram from CRSR High School in Giridih in undivided Bihar.

“His date of birth has been mentioned as November 7, 1975,” the official said. He completed his intermediate in 1992 from Jhumri Tilaya, which is now in Jharkhand.

During the course of interrogation on Saturday morning, Kumar is learnt to have told the police that he fudged his age to get job.

BSEB chairperson Anand Kishor, however, said there was no doubt about his educational performance in examinations and marks obtained by him. “We have carried out all types of verification.

His marks have been verified and all his marks are justified,” Kishor told a news channel. Officials said it was a tip-off about his age that set the ball rolling for the action against Kumar.

He was called to the BSEB office on Friday and arrested subsequently. An FIR was registered at Kotwali police station on the basis of the statement of Bipin Kumar Singh, section officer of BSEB, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.