FIR against MP Governor in MPPEB scam

Bhopal, February 24

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Spelling trouble for Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav, the STF probing the MPPEB scam, on Tuesday registered an FIR against him in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment of forest guards under various sections of IPC, including 420 for cheating.

Yadav has also been booked under Prevention of Corruption Act, a senior officer of the Special Task Force of MP police involved in the investigation told PTI.

"We have booked the Governor after going through the documents threadbare," the officer said.

Yadav had allegedly recommended the names of five candidates for recruitment as forest guards to the top officials of Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) which conducted the examination.

Some of these candidates had cracked the examination allegedly by adopting unfair means, the officer said.

The registration of FIR comes following a hearing in the matter in the Madhya Pradesh High Court on February 20 when a division bench comprising Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Alok Aradhe had said "the STF is free to proceed against the high dignitary."

According to legal experts, though the STF has booked the Governor for his alleged role in the scam, it would have to obtain Presidential sanction to charge sheet him.

The MPPEB scam is a massive admission and recruitment scandal involving politicians and senior officials and the Governor's role in it had come under the scanner since the arrest of his Officer on Special Duty Dhanraj Yadav in the MPPEB's Pre-Medical Test (PMT).

His son Shailesh Yadav's name too had cropped up during the investigation when an accused had alleged he was paid money for recruitment of contractual teachers.

Opposition Congress has been demanding Yadav's resignation and institution of a CBI probe into the widespread irregularities in conduct of various examinations by MPPEB. It had also boycotted the Governor's address on the opening day of the Assembly's budget session on February 18. — PTI