Rajasthan Administrative Service exam bribe: School principal among three held | Jodhpur News

JODHPUR/JAISALMER: The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested three persons, including the principal of a government school, in a bribery case related to Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) examination. The agency also seized the bribe amount of Rs 20 lakh which was returned by the mediator after he failed to keep his promise of ensuring 70% marks to the ‘beneficiary’ in the RAS interview.
Interestingly, while one of the accused is the principal at the Government Higher Secondary School, Panawara in Bayatu sub-division of Barmer, the other two are also associated with two private schools in Barmer and Jodhpur.
DIG (ACB) Vishnu Kant said that a team had chased a vehicle after they received information that two persons were on their way to Barmer with a huge amount given in return for ensuring higher marks in the RAS examination.
“Our team intercepted the vehicle at a police post in Kalyanpura on Jodhpur-Barmer highway on Thursday afternoon and found Rs 19.95 lakh in possession of two persons after searching the vehicle,” said the officer.

They were identified as Jogaram Saran, the principal of the government school, and Thakararam, owner of Mother Teresa Senior Secondary School in Barmer.
“On inquiring about the money, they disclosed that the money had been given to one Kishnaram of Jodhpur for ensuring over 70% marks to one Harish, who cleared the RAS-2018 examination. Since Kishnaram failed to keep his promise, he called them from Barmer to return the money which they received from him on Thursday and were returning back to Barmer,” Kant said.
On further investigation, it was found that Harish was the nephew of Thakararam, one of the accused. Thakararam had contacted Jogaram to find out if someone could ensure Harish got over 70% marks in the interview. Jogaram contacted Kishnaram, who is a physical instructor at a private school in Jodhpur.
Kishnaram had promised at least 70% marks in interview for Harish citing contacts in RPSC and demanded Rs 20 lakh for it. But he failed to do so as promised and Harish secured only 54% marks in the interview.
Jogaram then demanded the money back and Kishnaram agreed to return the money. Jogaram and Thakararam had come to Jodhpur to receive the amount on Thursday.
Kant said all the three have been arrested and Kishnaram was being interrogated with regard to his contact in RPSC and the grounds for him giving assurance to get 70% marks for Harish.